Bokuto Precinct of the DEAD
by Newshawk
Summary: What starts out as an ordinary day at the Bokuto Precinct turns into a hellish nightmare as a killing pandemic sweeps through Sumida Ward. The men and women of Bokuto Precinct are faced with a doomsday scenario they never imagined could happen.
1. Acknowledgments

**Bokuto Precinct of the DEAD**

**By Newshawk**

**Synopsis**

What starts out as another ordinary day at the Bokuto Precinct turns into a hellish nightmare as a killing pandemic sweeps through the Sumida Ward. Miyuki, Natsumi and the rest of the officers of the Bokuto Precinct are faced with a doomsday scenario they never imagined could happen. Who lives and who dies? What future do the men and women of the Bokuto Precinct have? Will they find a safe haven?

**Disclaimers**

Taiho Shichauzo/You're Under Arrest is owned by Kousuke Fujishima. Japanese manga presented by Kodansha, English adaptation presented by Dark Horse and Studio Proteus.

Japanese language anime adaptation produced by Studio Deen (all versions). English language adaptation of the OVA and first season presented by AnimEigo, second and third seasons by Sentai Filmworks and You're Under Arrest!-the Motion Picture and You're Under Arrest! Mini-Specials by ADV.

Gakuenmokusirouk/Highschool of the Dead is © 2007 by Daisuke Sato and © 2007 by Shouji Sato. Japanese manga presented by Fujimi Shobo Co., Ltd. English adaptation arranged with Kadokowa Shoten Publishing Co. and presented by Yen Press, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

The Japanese anime adaptation is produced by Madhouse and the English adaptation is produced by Sentai Filmworks.

I do not own or make claim to any of the characters, settings or story except for those original characters I have created and the story I have written here.

**Acknowledgments**

I'd like to thank some of my earliest supporters-those who encouraged me early on and gave me the confidence to post this story here.

From the Anime Network Forums:

LadyOfWicca: she was the first person to suggest I post the story online. I posted the first few chapters in the Anime Network forums but soon found that too unwieldy-so I came here.

Froggy: one of the early supporters-after I started publishing the story, she motivated me to turn a plot device into a strory line, complete with a character that may or may not be an antagonist.

ShawnMerrow, sbitzer, FromTheDarkness, redshirt1 and fillet: all early readers who encouraged me when I was unsure of myself.

Then there's my wife, Holly, who is patient and tolerant with me when my bursts of creativity extend into the wee hours of the morning.

**Dedication**

To my father, Ernie.


	2. Chapter 1a Miyuki

**Chapter ****1a—****Miyuki**

_The night before everything ended, Miyuki Kobayakawa was troubled._

Miyuki Kobayakawa was in the middle of a bad day. It hadn't started out that way, but it was going downhill fast. To start off, her partner, Natsumi Tsujimoto, was in a bad mood. She wouldn't admit to it, but it was as plain as the scowl on her face. This was the sort of day to tread lightly around Natsumi and pick your battles _very_ carefully.

Miyuki knew just what the problem was—Natsumi hadn't heard from her boyfriend, Lt. Shouji Toukairin, for over three weeks. Toukairin was up in Hokkaido Prefecture, outside of Sapporo, on a training mission with his mountain rescue team. He had warned Natsumi that he wouldn't be able to call or write her this time—that he would be out in the mountains the entire time—but for some reason she hadn't taken his warning to heart this time.

Missing her Shouji took its toll on Natsumi. After the first week, she was glum. She spent most of the time on patrol wishing that she'd hear from him soon. When she wasn't doing that, Natsumi was bemoaning her plight as "an abandoned woman." Miyuki had to constantly coax her partner to concentrate on the activities at hand.

It was even worse at home. Miyuki and Natsumi shared an apartment not far from their Bokuto Station workplace. The two Tokyo Metropolitan Police officers usually had a pleasant time off-duty, but since Natsumi went into her funk all she did after work was grab some food from the kitchen and head off to her room, not to be seen until the next morning. Miyuki was even starting to feel a bit abandoned herself!

When two weeks went by without Natsumi hearing from Shouji, she fell into a depression. This was a state Miyuki had not seen in her friend—ever! The closest she had ever came to the listlessness she exhibited was that time she was ill. Miyuki had shuddered at the memory of that time.

Her depression even affected her work performance. They ran into Strikeman one time. He once again challenged Natsumi to a duel, even throwing a bat at her feet. She refused to play along, which shook even the self-styled superhero. He left without his usual flamboyancy, even giving his nemesis a word of encouragement, which stunned Miyuki.

Now that three weeks had gone by, Natsumi was fit to kill. She snapped at just about everyone from Miyuki to Yoriko, only restraining herself from flying off the handle at the Chief and Inspector Tokuno. It made the daily patrols almost unbearable.

That wasn't the only thing Miyuki had to put up with. Her own romantic life had hit a rough patch. Her boyfriend, Kenny Nakajima, had (as of late) stood her up for various lunch and dinner dates a total of eleven times—and today was no different.

They had agreed to meet for lunch at the new udon restaurant across from the Kinshicho train station. Miyuki had waited there for almost her entire lunch time before ordering a bowl of udon and wolfing it down so she wouldn't be late back to work. She knew that Kenny probably had a good reason for missing the lunch date, but she wished he would have found a way to at least let her know what had happened so she wouldn't have to have eaten lunch so quickly.

On top of that, Miyuki had other problems to worry about. Her patrol car, her beloved Honda Today (the last one in service with the Metropolitan Police Department,) was sounding a little rough at idle and she wasn't quite sure why. Then, to add insult to injury, she found the car with a flat tire when she and Natsumi came out of a shop where they were investigating a report of a theft. It didn't take them that much time to change tires, but both policewomen got their uniforms dirty—so they were both in a foul mood when they arrived back at the squad room.

As they walked in, the Chief beckoned to Miyuki to come to his desk. "Miyuki, you know that traffic report you're working on?"

"Yes, I do. I haven't received the information I requested from the ward council, Chief."

The Chief grimaced. "Well, I'm sorry to tell you that it has become a priority assignment. You need to have it finished by the end of the week."

"They want it when?" Miyuki exclaimed. "I don't have anything to put in the report! Do they expect me to just make it up as I go along?" The squadroom grew quieter and heads turned towards them as she protested.

He gave her a sad smile. "Making this report a priority has at least opened the gates on the data you need. The data you requested will be here in about an hour."

"They're not expecting me to work on it all night, are they?"

"I don't care about them," the Chief said as he shook his head. "I do not want you to work on this tonight, Kobayakawa. Go home, get a good night's sleep and start on it after your morning patrol tomorrow."

"I will," she assured her superior. Then she asked, "Can you tell me why this is suddenly a priority?"

The Chief looked a bit embarrassed as he said "According to what I've been told, Councilman Fujishima put a request in to Headquarters for the report."

"Isn't he up for re-election soon?" Miyuki fumed. "I can't believe I have to drop everything and churn out some silly report ASAP so some politician can further his career"

"Kobayakawa, I couldn't agree with you more" The Chief massaged his temples with his fingertips. "I can't stand politicians who use governmental workers to further their own careers… but he used all the right channels and got Headquarters involved with this, so it has to be done."

Miyuki returned to her desk and started working on her daily reports. She was trying to keep the surprise news from distressing her, but she wasn't succeeding. She moped as she entered information into her computer. _If I have to get this out by the end of the week, I'll have to work through lunch every day. When will I get a chance to see Kenny?_

Yoriko Nikaido came into the squad room carrying a file box that was obviously too heavy for her. She staggered over to Miyuki's desk and stood there, shaking. She didn't notice her. Yoriko cleared her throat. She looked up and saw the file box.

"Is that what I think it is?" She had a bit of a growl in her voice.

"I… I… I don't know!" Yoriko stammered. "A man came into the mail room and dropped this off, saying you needed to get it right away!" She appeared to be intimidated by Miyuki's sour mood.

Miyuki saw the look in her co-worker's eyes and realized how she had seemed to her. She broke into a sheepish grin and said, "I'm sorry, Yoriko. It's not you. I've just been given a huge report and I only have three days to get it done. That is the research material I requested for it."

"Oh… OK," Yoriko said with a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry you have all that extra work. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I don't think so," Miyuki replied. "It's pretty much just entering the data you brought me into the computer and then letting it do its work. I'll have to spend just about all the time I'm not on patrol working on that report, but I think I can get it all done myself."

"Um… Miyuki, could I ask you something?" Yoriko said tentatively, leaning closer to Miyuki and lowering her voice.

"Sure, what is it?" Miyuki leaned in, too.

"Would you like to go out with us after work and try to cheer up Natsumi?" Yoriko asked quietly.

"I would love to go out with you to cheer up Natsumi" Miyuki told Yoriko, "but I'll need to be as sharp as I can be to get all this extra work done. I'll have to pass."

Miyuki turned back to her computer and worked on catching up everything she could so she could have as much time available as possible in the morning to start the report. When she finally looked up from her computer, she noticed the squad room was almost empty. Even Natsumi had left without saying goodbye. She headed to the locker room to change back into her civilian clothes. Running into Natsumi, she apologized to her roommate for missing the "girl's night out." Natsumi was understanding and they actually laughed about Miyuki offering to change her mind.

Miyuki drove her Honda NSX home, arriving at the apartment she shared with Natsumi a few minutes later. When she finally got inside, she saw the message light flashing on her house phone. Checking the voicemail, she found two. One was a robocall from the councilman that had given her the report assignment, asking for her to vote for him in the upcoming election. She hit the "Delete" button, nuttering,"Who does he think he IS?" The other message was from Kenny.

"Ko-Ko-Kobayakawa, it's me, Nakajima," he stammered out. "I'm sorry I missed you for lunch today. There was a hit-and-run accident happened just as I was about to turn onto the street where the restaurant was. I had to chase down and arrest the suspect." Miyuki smiled, remembering that she had heard some radio chatter about the accident after lunch.

Kenny continued, "Could we try again tomorrow? I'll see you at the station. Please?" He sounded almost like a little kid who had missed going to a day at the park asking for another chance. How could she refuse him? She pressed "Save" and went into the kitchen smiling. At least this time he got up enough nerve to call her home number. He _was_ making progress.

Miyuki made herself a quiet dinner at home, watched a little television and then headed off to bed. She drifted off to sleep thinking of the day she had just had and how Kenny had _almost_ gone out for lunch with her yet again. Those thoughts morphed into one of her usual dreams, where she and Kenny were married.

Normally, those dreams took place in the city, or in the house she had dreamed about their purchasing one day, and usually included at least two children-a boy and a girl. The dream that night was subtly different. In it, Kenny and she were married as usual. What was different was the setting.

She noticed that this time, they were walking out in the country, in a valley between two mountains. It was spring, and the scent of cherry blossoms was pleasantly wafting around them. Turning her head, she could see what looked to be a village not too far away. The voices of children playing echoed in the air. A cool breeze reminded her that although spring was approaching, living in the mountains meant that spring could play "hide and seek," giving way to snow as easily as to sunshine.

Looking in the opposite direction to the village, Miyuki saw two people on horseback approaching Kenny and her. As they drew closer, she could see they were Natsumi and Shouji. She chuckled to herself as the drew near, remembering Natsumi's first time on horseback. Her eyes were wide with panic and she desperately felt around for the brake levers she was so used to using on her Moto Compo. Now she looked like she had been riding all her life.

As Natsumi and Shouji rode up to the couple, Natsumi called out "Good morning, Miyuki! Good Morning, Kenny! What are the love birds doing out at this time of the morning?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing, Natsumi!" Miyuki replied, grinning.

"We were awakened at dawn by a call from Kachou," Natsumi replied. "He wanted up to ride out to Section 23 of the perimeter to check the fence. Apparently someone bagged a good sized buck last evening and there was concern about a break."

"Did you find anything?" Kenny asked.

"No, the fence was secure" Shouji answered. "We rode a good ways past Section 23 on both sides and saw nothing unusual. I saw the size of that buck and he could have cleared the fence easily."

"It's prudent to check" Miyuki mused.

"Yes it is," Natsumi agreed. "Not to mention some tasty venison and more leather to work with this fall! By the way how are you doing? I swear you look like you're about to pop!"

Miyuki looked down at her belly, large with a baby growing inside. "Oh, I'm fine, Natsumi" she said. "Kyou said I'm right where I should be for six months pregnant. And when are you two going to catch up?"

Natsumi laughed. "It won't be long now," she replied. "Besides, we couldn't afford to have the two of us out of commission at the same time, could we?"

"I guess not" Miyuki agreed. "Stop by when you get a chance."

"You know I will!" Natsumi declared as the two riders resumed their trek to the stables. "See you later!"

Turning to say something to Kenny, Miyuki heard her cell phone ring. She reached for the phone on her belt and remembered she didn't have it any more. Furthermore, it didn't sound like a cell phone ring tone, it sounded like an alarm clock going off. She wondered why there was an alarm clock out here. The ringing was more insistent and she reached for the clock on her nightstand to turn it off.

Staring blankly at the display, she wondered what the dream meant. Why was she in the country, with Kenny by her side and Natsumi and Shouji with them? And why was she pregnant? The alarm clock rang again and jerked her into awareness.

Miyuki pondered the meaning of the dream as she showered, but the memory of the incident was fading as if the warm water was washing it away. Miyuki quickly dressed and as she ate her breakfast she wondered if she should say anything to Natsumi about the unusual dream. What would she say? Would she laugh? Why wasn't she up yet?

Stopping in front of her roommate's door, Miyuki paused and listened for a minute. All she heard was the soft snoring of her friend, Natsumi Tsujimoto. Letting out a quiet sigh, Miyuki rapped on the door and called out "Natsumi, wake up." The only reply she got was a snort from the other side of the door.

A frown crossed Miyuki's face. Knocking on the door harder, she again called, "Natsumi, wake up. You'll be late again!" This time, the response from the room was a loud "Snx-x-x-x-x." With her frown blossoming into a look of consternation, Miyuki balled her fist and pounded on the door. "Natsumi, WAKE UP! You're going to make us both late!" No sound emanated from behind the door.

Turning abruptly, Miyuki walked down the hall to the front door, calling out over her shoulder, "I don't know why I have to treat you like you're my teenage daughter!" Releasing the lock, she stepped into the hallway and pulled the door shut.

Driving to the station, Miyuki fumed over her partner's tardiness habit. She mused that while Natsumi was a good partner, her constant lateness served to tarnish the luster her many achievements had earned her. She decided that they were going to have to have yet another "heart-to-heart" talk.

With that matter settled, Miyuki relaxed as she enjoyed the sights on her drive to Bokuto Station. As she drew near the station she caught a whiff of cherry blossoms. She remember dreaming about them, but couldn't remember the dream now.

Miyuki changed into her uniform in the woman's locker room, exchanging pleasantries with Yoriko and some of the other policewomen, then walked over to the squad room, where the Chief and Aoi Futaba were already hard at work. Looking up, the Chief beckoned to Miyuki to come to his desk.

"Officer Kobayakawa, I've made a change to the duty roster today," he started. "I'm sending out Officers Futaba and Nikaido in your place this morning. It seems that the completion date has been moved up on that report you've been assigned so you'll need to work on it today."

"AGAIN? When does _he_ want the report turned in now, Chief?" Miyuki inquired, pointedly.

"Oh, right, I didn't say," the Chief said, a bit nonplussed. "_He__—_er, they want it today."

"Today? I just got the raw data yesterday! Does he think I'm a miracle worker?"

"I'm sorry, Kobayakawa. I know how hard this request is. I'm trying to get _him__—_I mean them to adjust the date to a more reasonable one," he assured Miyuki.

Miyuki bowed to her superior. "Thank you for trying to get me some more time, Chief. I guess I better stop complaining and start working." Miyuki went back to her desk and turned on her computer. When she opened up the program she had written to compile the data she had received the day before she saw that some of the data was already entered into the program.

Aoi looked up at her and smiled. "Miyuki, when the Chief asked Yoriko and me to stand in, I offered to start entering in the data to give you a head start."

"Thank you, Aoi! You're a big help. How much did you get put in?"

"I'm sorry, Miyuki. I'm not as fast as you. I've only worked through the first 12 pages." Aoi had a sad smile on her face.

"That's fine, Aoi," Miyuki assured her. "Any assistance is greatly appreciated."

Yoriko entered the squad room with a handful of mail. She called out "Good morning, Aoi" to her partner as she walked over to the Chief's desk.

"You're in a particularly good mood today, Officer Nikaido" the Chief observed with a grin.

"Good morning Chief," Yoriko said breezily. She put all but one letter on his desk. She turned to her fellow policewomen and held up the remaining letter. "Guess who's got mail today!" She had a look of conspiratorial glee.

"Let's see… Is it Inspector Tokuno? Perhaps it's that cute guy in the radio dispatch room…" Aoi mused, a smile on her face. Miyuki just laughed.

Crossing over to the desk opposite Miyuki, Yoriko exclaimed, "No, it's Natsumi, and the postmark says Sapporo!" She dropped the letter on the absent policewoman's computer keyboard.

Miyuki couldn't resist teasing her. "So Yoriko, did you steam the letter open?"

"Miyuki, what are you trying to say? You're trying to make me out to be a busybody," Yoriko said with mock disappointment. "Besides, there was somebody else in the break room when I went by, so I couldn't get to the tea kettle!" All three women giggled as the Chief, sitting with his head down like he was reading, let a sly smile cross his face.

"Yoriko, don't get too comfortable," Aoi advised her. "The Chief switched us with Miyuki and Natsumi and we're going on patrol in their place this morning."

"Aw, rats! I wanted to be here when Natsumi opened her letter!" Yoriko pouted.

The Chief looked up. "Officer Nikaido, Officer Kobayakawa has had the completion date for her report moved up so she needs to be in the office as much as possible today. I'm sure she'll be better able to concentrate on her work if she's not thinking about your being upset."

Yoriko blushed and bowed in the Chief's direction. "I'm sorry, Chief!" She then turned to Miyuki and bowed again, "I'm sorry, Miyuki! I wasn't complaining. I know that is a very important report for you!"

Miyuki chuckled. "It's alright, Yoriko. I knew you were just kidding. Besides, I promise to give you a detailed report when you get back."

"Thanks, Miyuki! You're the best!" Yoriko beamed as she sat down at her desk.

Kenny walked into the squad room with his fellow motorcycle patrolmen Akihiro Noguchi and Teizou Samejima. They greeted the Chief and the policewomen. The two other motorcycle patrolmen went to their desks. Kenny, however, came over to Miyuki's desk. He fidgeted for a few seconds before he said nervously,"Ko… Kobayakawa, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Nakajima, you may" Miyuki replied.

"I was thinking, um, you know that new udon restaurant over by Kinshicho station? I would like to, um, meet you and Tsujimoto there for lunch today."

"You mean that one where we were supposed to have lunch yesterday?" Miyuki could barely suppress a smile.

Kenny's face lost all its color. "Y… Y… Yes?"

"Well, I don't know if I'll be able to make it," Miyuki mused, a slight frown forming on her lips. "I'm working on a report that's become a rush job and I'll probably have to work through lunch."

The Chief looked up from his paperwork and smiled at Miyuki and Kenny. "I'm not that much of a slave driver that I'd make you miss a lunch date with Nakajima—and beside, that way you won't have to worry about Tsujimoto."

"Thank you, Chief" Miyuki replied, beaming. Turning to Kenny, she said "See you there at noon?"

"I'll be there!" Kenny said with a big grin on his face as he sat down at his desk. He went over the morning paperwork with obvious joy, so much so that Miyuki chuckled, wondering if this meant another breakthrough in their relationship. She returned to her data entry, oblivious to the big smile that she, too, had on her face.

The rest of the Bokuto Precinct Traffic Section day shift came in, received their assignments for the day and departed. The only two people remaining in the room were Miyuki and the Chief. Miyuki continued to enter the information into her computer while the Chief reviewed the reports from the previous day. A measure of peace returned to the squad room.

The peace was short-lived, however, as they heard someone running down the hallway. The door to the squad room flew open and Natsumi stood there, breathing heavily as she leaned against the door jamb. "I-I-I was on my way to work when I heard a woman calling for help. Her baby had crawled out on a ledge, so I had to go out there to rescue it…"

"Officer Tsujimoto, I believe that is the third time this year you've saved a baby that crawled out on a ledge-and it's barely Spring," said the Chief dryly, struggling to suppress a smile. "I hope it wasn't the same child." Miyuki stifled a chuckle.

"No, Chief, it was a different child—I think," Natsumi replied, with a crimson blush starting to rise on her cheeks. "I guess it's just fortunate that I am passing by when these things happen. I will write my apology when I get back from patrol."

"Actually, Natsumi, you can begin it now," Miyuki suggested. "Aoi and Yoriko have gone on the morning patrol in our place."

Natsumi, a look of surprise and concern on her face, bowed to the Chief. "I will write apologies to them as well. I did not mean for…"

The Chief put up his hand. "That will not be necessary, Tsujimoto. I had switched the patrols around already as the deadline on Kobayakawa's report has been moved up to the end of the day. You and she will cover the afternoon patrol, however—if she can finish before then."

"I understand, Chief," Natsumi replied, bowing to him. She walked over to her desk. As she sat down, she spotted the letter sitting on her keyboard. Natsumi broke into a big grin as she pounced on the letter. Tearing it open, her eyes lit up as they darted across the page. Her smile widened as she read.

"Good news, Natsumi?" Miyuki asked with a sly grin on her face. "What is happening with Shouji?"

"He sent this on the last day of the exercise. He says he should be back at the Mountain Rescue training center south of Toyama by the time I get this—and he's coming to Tokyo this weekend!" Natsumi chortled.

"That's great news, Natsumi! Should the four of us make plans, or do you want to catch up with him first?"

Natsumi cocked her head at Miyuki. "I know we're partners and best friends and all, but what do you think I want to do this weekend?" It was Miyuki's turn to blush.

The policewomen turned to their tasks. Miyuki completed the data input and started "crunching the numbers," looking for patterns in the recent incident reports that would lead to suggestions to improve the effectiveness of the traffic patrols in the Sumida Ward. She was oblivious to her surroundings until Natsumi asked in a dreamy voice "How do you spell 'profoundly', Miyuki?"

"Um, Natsumi, I think you need to snap out of it," Miyuki cautioned her partner. "It's a long way until the weekend."

The Chief's phone rang. Answering it, he said, "Traffic Section, Kachou speaking… What? How so? How many?" He listened intently. "Contact all patrols and advise them to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity until we figure out what's happening," the Chief told the caller.

"I said contact the patrols," the Chief snapped. "They need to be made aware of the situation-right now." The Chief hung up the phone as the two policewomen looked at him

"Is something happening, Chief?" Natsumi asked.

"Dispatch says they're getting a rash of calls claiming that there are people assaulting others by biting them," the Chief said. "It doesn't seem to be anything to worry about just yet but I want the patrols to be the lookout for anyone who is doing that so we can determine what is happening."

"People biting other people?" Miyuki thought for a minute. "What a strange thing to be doing. Is it some kind of practical joke, like on those TV shows?"

Just then Natsumi's phone rang. She picked it up, listened for about 20-30 seconds, then asked "Who is this?" Her look of puzzlement turned into a look of concern tinged with alarm.

"I understand, Mrs. Kurusugawa. Could you hold for just a second?" Natsumi covered the mouthpiece and called to the Chief. "I have someone on the phone right now. She and her husband have that little shop by the train station. She says her husband was bitten by a patron who walked in off the street and is now coughing up blood. I'll see if I can get any more information."

Uncovering the mouthpiece, Natsumi said, "Can you tell me what happened, and why you called me?" She listened intently for what now seemed an eternity, then her eyes went wide as Miyuki and the Chief heard a blood-curdling "NOOOOO!" emit from the earpiece of Natsumi's phone.

"Mrs. Kurusugawa, are you alright? What's going on?" Natsumi yelled into the phone. "Did something happen to you?" The Chief and Miyuki looked up startled. Natsumi listened some more then asked urgently, "Did the man come back and do something to your husband, Mrs. Kurusugawa?" After a few seconds a look of horror swept Natsumi's face.

"You killed the man? Natsumi sat transfixed as the two other officers could plainly hear screams from the other end of the line, followed by silence.

"Mrs. Kurusugawa! Mrs. Kurusugawa!" Natsumi screamed into the handset. Tears welled up in her eyes and her face was white as a sheet. Miyuki could hear the faint buzzing of the dial tone from where she sat.

"Whats' wrong, Natsumi?" Miyuki asked, getting up from her chair with a concerned look on her face. The Chief stared intently at Natsumi.

"She said her husband had died, but then she said he hadn't died and he was getting up but then she said he attacked her and bit her and then the phone went dead…" Natsumi just sat there, staring at the phone, dazed.

The Chief picked up the phone and began dialing. "I'm going to call Headquarters to see just what's going on." He dialed a number and a look of worry crossed his face. He punched a button on the phone and dialed again. The look of worry deepened.

There was a sudden screech of tires from outside that was clearly audible even in the squad room. Miyuki ran to the window and looked down. She saw a police car parked haphazardly by the front entrance of the station and what looked to be Aoi running towards the door. Something glinted in her right hand.

A few minutes later, they heard footsteps running down the hall in their direction. Aoi burst into the squad room, panting. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes red from crying and her uniform was splattered with blood. In her right hand she held a pistol.

The Chief put the phone down as he stood up. "What is the meaning of this, Officer Futaba? What are you doing back here, and where is Officer Nikaido?"

"Yoriko is dead," Aoi said flatly. "I shot her."


	3. Chapter 1b Natsumi

**Chapter 1b****—****Natsumi**

_The night before everything ended, Natsumi Tsujimoto was out late._

The past three weeks had been the worst weeks of Natsumi Tsujimoto's life. Before that time, Natsumi had enjoyed her life, from her job to her best friend, Miyuki Kobayakawa, to her boyfriend Shouji Toukairin—especially her boyfriend Shouji!

They had grown closer since Shouji returned during the Bee Train One incident. The two were able to spend more time together, even when Shouji was at the Mountain Rescue Team training base. He'd often take the train to Tokyo on the weekends to be with Natsumi or she would ride her motorcycle to visit Shouji, riding all night to see him for just a few hours. Sometimes they would even meet somewhere in the middle, spending time in a restaurant or just walking around.

Those weekends-her time together with her boyfriend-did more than anything else to "ground" Natsumi. She started getting to work on time consistently and sometimes even beat Miyuki out of their apartment. It even affected her appetite—while Natsumi still loved an eating challenge, she more often ate like a normal person. Her friends and co-workers marveled at the changes in Natsumi.

When Shouji would have to go on assignment, Natsumi was always able to at least call or text him and keep in touch that way. Most of the assignments he went on were short-term—search and rescue missions or training other police departments in rescue and survival techniques. He would keep her constantly appraised of what he was doing. That was until four weeks ago.

Natsumi and Shouji were reminiscing about the way they met. That meant they were sightseeing at the Tokyo Tower, where they first worked together to rescue the Chief and two other people caught outside on the observation deck during a severe windstorm. They recreated the initial run up the stairs and then went up to the Observatory deck to have lunch at Cafe La Tour.

As they sat there eating their meal, Natsumi was as happy as she ever had been, but Shouji was quiet. She noticed this and said, "If you're worried about the check, I'm strangely not eating as much as I usually do-but I feel fine!"

Shouji set down his chopsticks and sat back in his chair. "I've been trying to find a good time to tell you, but I can't think of any time that would be right. Natsumi…"

"Wait!" Natsumi was confused and scared. "Is it a good thing or a… um, not so good thing you have to tell me?" She began to fidget nervously.

"This would definitely go in the 'not good' category," Shouji admitted.

Natsumi got a worried look on her face. "You're not…" she choked out.

"No, Natsumi, I love you as much as always," Shouji assured her.

"Oh, that's good," she sighed. "So what is it?"

"I'm going on a training mission," Shouji said.

"Oh, we've gone through that before," Natsumi chuckled, relieved it was just a mission.

"But I'm going to Hokkaido," he continued.

"So you'll be in Sapporo!" She brightened. "We've been there before. Maybe I can come…"

Shouji shook his head. "We're going to be in the field the entire time."

"Well, they have excellent phone service all over Hokkaido. Just take your phone and…"

"There's no personal communication devices allowed…"

Natsumi's smile began to fade. "And…" she prompted.

"We'll be gone for three weeks," Shouji told her, grimacing.

"THREE WEEKS? WITH NO CONTACT?" Natsumi yelled. Every head in the restaurant instantly turned in their direction at her exclamation.

Shouji bowed his head. "Natsumi, I wanted to tell…"

"How am I going to make it the next three weeks not hearing from you?" Natsumi moaned.

"I can't get out of this—not without leaving the Mountain Police," Shouji said.

Natsumi sat there, breathing heavily. "I don't want you to have to choose between the Mountain Police and me," she said sadly. "I'm—I'm just going to have to get through this." The problem was, Natsumi didn't even believe herself.

Shouji tried to prepare Natsumi for the ordeal by paying special attention to her for the week before departure. He talked to her for hours, sent mountains of texts and e-mails and even sent her gifts. It almost did the trick.

The first week, Natsumi reread all the texts and listened to the numerous voice messaged Shouji left, but they proved to just remind her that he was out of reach. As each day passed and no new messages showed up, her spirits sank lower. She tried talking to his picture in her room, clutching the carabiner that he had given her, the one that had saved his life. It only reminded her that he was out in a dangerous location risking his life for the job he loved as much as her.

The second week, she slipped into a depression. She grew listless at home and her performance suffered at work. Not even a reappearance of Strikeman could get her energized. He was on one of his usual rants about bringing justice to the lawless of Japan and once more challenged Natsumi to a duel, even throwing a bat at her feet. She just stared at it like it was a twig.

"So, Home Run Girl, are you finally yielding to my greatness?" He was as defiant as always.

"No, I just don't wanna," Natsumi replied, dejectedly. She sighed and turned to head back to the patrol car.

The self-styled superhero was stunned. Looking at Miyuki, he stammered, "I… I… Is Home Run Girl alright?"

Looking at Strikeman, Miyuki was suddenly at a loss for words. "She…" she began. "I…" "It's been a rough few weeks for Tsujimoto," she finally explained.

A hint of a frown showed on Strikeman's lips as he lowered his head slightly. "The course of true love never runs smoothly," he said quietly.

Spinning around, Natsumi snapped back at him, "Yeah? How would you know?"

Miyuki spoke up, trying to sooth her partner. "He was just…"

Strikeman motioned to Miyuki, then turned to Natsumi. He had a serious look on his face as he said in his normal voice, "I know I may seem like a buffoon most of the time, but I, too, have had my share of emotional pain. I will leave you in peace for now as you have a greater weight on your mind." With that, he walked over to the bat, picked it up and turned to leave. Looking back over his shoulder, he said, "Be strong, Natsumi. Don't give up." Then he was gone, leaving a stunned Miyuki and an uncaring Natsumi behind.

If the first two weeks were bad, then the third week was a living hell. Natsumi had regressed so far back she was worse than when she first came to Bokuto Station. Miyuki had to almost drag her out of bed each day and when she did, all she got was a glare and something muttered that Miyuki couldn't hear-and probably didn't want to. Nights were just as bad-As soon as she got home, Natsumi disappeared into her room, not to re-emerge until Miyuki rousted her out the next morning.

Natsumi snapped at all her co-workers-only her respect for the Chief and Inspector Tokuno held her tongue in check when speaking to them. She also chewed out civilians they stopped for the smallest reasons, making some of the women (and even one man) cry. The atmosphere in the Honda Today was so toxic it was even starting to wear on Miyuki.

The Chief observed Natsumi's decline over the last two and a half weeks and realized that something needed to be done to break her out of her foul mood. He cleverly persuaded Yoriko to take Natsumi out for a "girls' night out," hoping that she'd relax enough to make the rest of the week at least bearable.

When Natsumi and Miyuki returned late from their afternoon patrol, Natsumi was literally seething. She was disheveled and her uniform was dirty. _Why did the car have to get a flat tire today? __That was the last thing I needed to have happen to me._ All she could think of was taking a shower, changing into her street clothes and going home to mope in bed all night-again.

Natsumi sat down at her desk while the Chief called Miyuki over to talk to her. Natsumi thought it might be about not letting the MPD fleet service guys change the tire and the look on Miyuki's face almost convinced her she was right-but as she sat down, Miyuki muttered, "I wish all the politicians would just di… go away."

Natsumi gave a sardonic chuckle at Miyuki's sotto voce rant. As mad as she was about whatever it was, she still couldn't even think about killing someone. Miyuki heard the chuckle and looked at her partner. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing, Miyuki" Natsumi replied, trying to will a smirk from her face. "What did the Chief have to say?"

Miyuki sighed. "It's this stupid report," she said, almost moaning. The comment startled Natsumi—Miyuki had _never_ called any of her reports "stupid" before. Why, Miyuki _loved_ doing her reports! She decided it was better to let the subject drop.

Natsumi worked on her afternoon reports as Miyuki worked at her computer. She was fuming in a way her partner had never seen before. Natsumi was about to say something when Yoriko walked up to Miyuki's desk with a large filing box. She stood beside Miyuki for a few moments, then cleared her throat. Miyuki nearly bit her head off asking what was in the box. She calmed down when she saw it was Yoriko and told her about the report due date being moved up. Relieved, Yoriko deposited the box next to Miyuki's desk then leaned over and asked her something that Natsumi couldn't hear. Miyuki shook her head and Yoriko looked a bit disappointed, then walked off.

Natsumi turned back to her computer and completed her report, then got up from her desk. "I'm going to get changed so I can go home" she told her partner. "A shower and bed are the best things I can think of for tonight." Miyuki "Hmm…" ed as she nodded, her eyes still fixed on her computer screen.

Entering the woman's locker room, Natsumi nearly ran into Yoriko, who was standing just inside the door facing a group of policewomen. When they saw Natsumi, they all looked away and tried to look busy. Natsumi was puzzled and a bit miffed. She felt like she was turning into a pariah. Yoriko spun around and was face-to-face with Natsumi. "Um… Um… Natsumi, would you like to go out for dinner and some drinks with me and some of the other girls?" She blushed slightly.

Natsumi realized what she had walked into. The entire room had turned Yoriko down. Natsumi actually felt a bit sorry for Yoriko, and the idea of going out and getting drunk suddenly appealed to her. "Sure, I'll go out with the gang" she said as cheerily as she could muster. Yoriko heaved a sigh of relief at the acceptance of her offer. Then Natsumi asked "So who's going out with us," as she swept the room with an icy stare.

Yoriko put on a "deer in the headlights" look until a voice from the back of the room rang out. "I'll go with you" said Natsuyo Tashiro, standing up. "You were there for me a few months ago, so I'd like to repay the favor," she added. Natsumi heard a sigh as Yoriko wobbled a bit next to her. "Glad to have you come along, Tashiro," Natsumi exclaimed. "We'll have a great time tonight!" Turning to the rest of the policewomen, she said, "You gals don't know what you'll be missing!"

With the change of plans for the evening, Natsumi decided to grab a quick shower at the station. After she showered she changed into her street clothes. While she was dressing, Miyuki came into the locker room. When she saw Natsumi, her cheeks reddened. "I'm sorry, Natsumi, I wish I could…"

Natsumi cut her off. "I know, Miyuki. You have a real bear of a make-work job dropped in your lap. You don't have to apologize. We'll go celebrate when the report is finished—just the four of us!"

Miyuki smiled. "Thanks, Natsumi," she said. "You don't know how bad I feel about missing this."

Natsumi grinned. "I understand," she said, smiling. "Besides, with you at home, I can get really ripped tonight!"

Miyuki gave her roommate the same look Natsumi's mother used to give her as a teen. "Maybe I can make it after all," she said with a deadpan look.

"Oh, no, NO!" Natsumi protested, even though she was starting to giggle, "You need your sleep. You have a lot of number crunching to cram into a short time tomorrow!" The two of them dissolved into giggling, the tension having been broken for a moment at least.

Miyuki crossed over to the door. "Well, don't be too late, at least," she admonished Natsumi before walking out the door.

Natsumi caught up with Yoriko and Natsuyo just outside the front gate of Bokuto Station. They stood on the sidewalk of Keiyo Road, deciding where to go. The decision reached was to go to a small restaurant with a bar on the west side of the Kinshico train station that was one of the usual off-duty hangouts for the officers of Bokuto Station.

The three women shared small talk and station gossip while they walked to the restaurant and during dinner, but as the drinks flowed afterward, the conversation turned personal. Yoriko, always on the lookout for good gossip, was cautious with her drinking but Natsumi seemed to be out to drown her fears with alcohol that night.

"Look, I know I've had some unrealistic dreams before." Natsumi groused as she took another gulp from her glass of beer. "I know that setting my sights on the Chief was an impossible dream, and that Inspector Tokuno was married and out of reach. Maybe that's why I had crushes on them… at least I knew where I stood and I could dream! I haven't heard from Shouji-kun in so long! He's back up in those mountains and he's probably not even giving me a second thought!"

"Natsumi, that can't be true!" Yoriko replied.

"I'm not so sure, girlfriend" Natsumi retorted, getting a bit more agitated as the alcohol did its work. "I know he loves those mountains. I've hoped he would love me at least as much as he loves them. Do you know what it's like to have the Himalayas as your rival?"

"I can't say that I do" Yoriko mused. Natsumi noticed that Yoriko's usual glee at discovering a juicy nugget of gossip fodder was missing. Even as foggy minded as she was getting from the alcohol, Natsumi realized that Yoriko was truly concerned about her. It made it easier for her to open up to Yoriko for once.

As the two women progressed into a dialog about Natsumi's love life, Natsuyo started to feel uncomfortable at the talk. She didn't know either of her co-workers as well as they knew each other and she felt like she was no longer a part of the conversation. She excused herself and left the restaurant to go home at about 2100. Natsumi and Yoriko didn't even notice she had left.

Around 2200, Yoriko noticed the time and asked Natsumi if she was ready to leave. Natsumi replied "If you've got to go, Yoriko, then go. I think I'd like some time alone."

"Don't stay out too long, Natsumi. You don't want to be late again," Yoriko warned as she got up from the table.

"I'll be OK, don't worry about me!" Natsumi assured Yoriko. "You just take care getting home."

It was after midnight when Natsumi made it back to the apartment she shared with Miyuki. She quietly made her way to her room so as to not awaken her partner. It wasn't so much courtesy as it was Natsumi wanting to avoid a lecture from Miyuki. _She could be such a mother hen at times._ Inside her bedroom, she shed her clothes and donned her pajamas then fell into her bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

Natsumi soon was deep into one of her normal dreams. Normal, that is, for someone who had drunk just a bit too much beer. Her first dream was a jumbled mass of images that "starred" Miyuki, Shouji, Kenny, the Chief, Yoriko, Aoi and even Strikeman! She tossed and turned in her bed as the crazy quilt of characters and situations streamed through her subconscious. Then, the dream abruptly ended.

The next thing Natsumi knew, she was sitting next to Shouji as they drove along a deserted country road. Outside the car, the trees were ablaze with color that could only occur in the fall. She was enjoying the idea of taking a drive with her Shouji-kun on a sunny afternoon, with the crisp bite of the cooling fall air blowing through the vents of the Humvee. She smelled the distinct aroma of the leaves that fell to the ground, mixed with the scent of diesel fuel and gunpowder.

Natsumi looked down to see a H&K MP-5 machine pistol sitting in her lap, equipped with a silencer, brass catcher and ACOG sight. She looked over at Shouji, who looked back at her, smiled and said, "Remember, Natsumi, keep it on single fire. We're low on ammunition right now."

A village loomed up ahead but Natsumi saw no people along the streets. She saw lots of shadows, however. One shadow lurched into the path of the Humvee. Natsumi stood up through the cupola, took aim and squeezed off a round, hitting the shadow in the head and knocking it back out of the path of the vehicle. She surveyed the street from her vantage point but saw no people anywhere. However, the shadows were as thick as flies. She kept taking measured and accurate shots that cleared their path of the shadows. Then a buzzer sounded in the passenger compartment.

Shouji swung the Humvee around and gunned the engine, picking up speed as they retraced their route. "Well, that's as far as we can go today. We need to hustle if we are going to get back to the compound in time," he called out over the roar of the engine. Natsumi sat back down and wondered where they were and why they were there as the afternoon sun faded ahead of them. As the sun went down, it was as if a curtain closed on this dream.

The next thing Natsumi was aware of was her Shouji-kun and her lying on a grassy slope near the top of a mountain. They wordlessly basked in the warmth of the sun as they watched a hawk flying lazily above them. As Shouji leaned over her to kiss her, Natsumi heard a voice. It didn't sound like Shouji's and it wasn't coming from him. It seemed to Natsumi that she could hear the hawk say something to her. She just couldn't quite make out what it was.

As Shouji drew closer to her, she felt like her heart started pounding rapidly… but when did her heart's pounding sound like a fist on a door? The hawk spoke again, but all Natsumi could make out was "WAKE UP! You're going to make us both late!"

She thought to herself, "Huh?" She rolled over, hugging Shouji tightly. The voice echoed in her mind. "Where have I heard that voice before?" she sleepily mused. She couldn't figure out why the hawk sounded so much like Miyuki. Miyuki couldn't fly like that, could she? There was that goddess in that manga that looked a lot like Miyuki, but in the anime she didn't sound anything like her. And that goddess certainly didn't look hike a hawk-but the hawk didn't look like Miyuki. It just sounded like her. How could she get the goddess confused with the hawk… no, she meant Miyuki… no…

Natsumi opened one eye. She found herself in her bed, hugging her pillow. She spotted the clock on the nightstand and stared at the time. Her mind slowly processed the information her eye saw until one undeniable fact rose to the surface… she was late!

Natsumi sat bolt upright and cried out "Oh crap!" She groaned as her head throbbed and fell back into bed. _I must be getting old… I can't drink as much as I used to__._ "No, I must get up!" She pushed herself upright and got out of bed.

She hurried through a shower, feeling the water wash away the fuzziness from her mind. Only a fleeting question remained from the night's dreams-how did Shouji get the Humvee? Wrapping a towel around her, Natsumi went to the kitchen, grabbed a quick breakfast then returned to her room. She was about to get dressed in street clothes when she realized she wouldn't have time to stop in the locker room so she threw on her uniform and bolted out of the apartment.

Natsumi jumped on her Yamaha YZF-R6 and raced just about all the way to the station. She pulled up to the intersection with Keiyo Road and stopped at the light. Hearing a shout, she saw a young boy on a balcony waving to the uniform-wearing motorcyclist below. Natsumi waved back, then gunned the engine as the light turned green. Crossing the intersection, she shot down the westbound lane of Keiyo Road towards the station.

Making the turn into the Bokuto Police Station, Natsumi almost flew around the building as she drove to the personal motorcycle parking area. She dashed through the back door into the building, then sprinted down the hall to the stairway, up to the third floor and down the hall to the squad room. As she made the final dash, she started thinking of what she would tell the Chief to excuse her tardiness THIS time. She remembered the boy on the balcony as she sat at the light, so she formulated a story in her mind. That should do it!

Natsumi turned and burst through the squad room door. She stood there, breathing heavily as she leaned against the door jamb. "I-I-I was on my way to work when I heard a woman calling for help. Her baby had crawled out on a ledge, so I had to go out there to rescue it…"

"Officer Tsujimoto, I believe that is the third time this year you've saved a baby that crawled out on a ledge-and it's barely Spring." The Chief had an odd look on his face. Was he mad or was he actually smiling a bit. "I hope it wasn't the same child." She heard a noise from the direction of Miyuki's desk—her partner and friend was stifling a chuckle.

"No, Chief, it was a different child," Natsumi replied, struggling to remember when she last used that excuse and feeling the heat of a blush starting to rise on her cheeks. She had to think fast. "I guess it's just fortunate that I am passing by when these things happen. I will write my apology when I get back from patrol."

"Actually, Natsumi, you can begin it now," Miyuki suggested. "Aoi and Yoriko have gone on the morning patrol in our place."

The news shocked Natsumi. She bowed to the Chief. "I will write apologies to them as well. I did not mean for…"

"That will not be necessary, Tsujimoto. I had switched the patrols around already. The deadline on Kobayakawa's report has been moved up to the end of the day. You and she will cover the afternoon patrol—if she can finish before then."

"I understand, Chief," Natsumi replied, bowing to him. She walked over to her desk. As she sat down, she spotted a letter sitting on her keyboard. Before she read the return address on the envelope she knew it was from her Shouji. She just knew it had to be good news! Natsumi broke into a big grin as she pounced on the letter. Tearing it open, her eyes lit up as they darted across the page. Her smile widened as she read. He had gotten back to base after all!

"Good news, Natsumi?" Miyuki had a sly grin on her face. "What is happening with Toukairin?'

"He's returned from the training in Sapporo and is back at the Mountain Rescue training center. He said he should be able to make it to Tokyo this weekend," Natsumi exclaimed.

"That's great news, Natsumi! Should the four of us make plans, or do you want to catch up with him first?"

Natsumi cocked her head at Miyuki. "I know we're partners and best friends and all, but what do you think I want to do this weekend?" Miyuki turned a nice shade of red in reply.

The policewomen turned to their tasks. Miyuki worked on the report. Natsumi glanced over to see that determined look she always got on her face when she was working out a tough problem. Natsumi admired her for that.

Meanwhile, she worked on what seemed to be her 1,000th apology letter, trying to make it sound sincere. She started out strong, hitting all the proper keywords that she knew the Chief would be looking for. However, her mind started wandering back to the previous night's dreams.

What did it mean, her shooting at shadows as Shouji drove through that village? Why were they in that Humvee? Natsumi shook her head a bit, trying to rid her memory of such jarring images. Her mind then wandered back to her last dream. She wondered if the weekend would be like that when she and her Shouji-kun were back together again.

Natsumi stared down at her paper for what seemed like an eternity, struggling over one word. "How do you spell 'profoundly', Miyuki?"

"Natsumi, I think you need to snap out of it. It's a long way until the weekend," Miyuki replied. Just then the phone rang.

The Chief answered it. "Traffic Section, Kachou speaking. What? How so? How many?" He had an odd look on his face as he listened to the caller, then he said, "Contact all patrols and advise them to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity until we figure out what's happening." He listened some more.

"I said contact the patrols," the Chief snapped, clearly annoyed. "They need to be made aware of the situation-right now." The Chief hung up the phone as the two policewomen looked at him.

"Is something happening, Chief?" Natsumi asked.

"Dispatch says they're getting a rash of calls claiming that there are people assaulting others by biting them," the Chief said. "It doesn't seem to be anything to worry about just yet but I want the patrols to be the lookout for anyone who is doing that so we can determine what is happening."

"People biting other people?" Miyuki mused. "What a strange thing to be doing. Is it some kind of practical joke, like on those TV shows?"

Natsumi's phone rang. She picked it up to hear a frantic voice. "Officer Tsujimoto! I tried to call in on the emergency line but it was busy! I'm sorry to bother you but I need help! My husband…"

"Who is this?" Natsumi asked, not recognizing the voice on the other end.

"This is Mrs. Kurusugawa from the market by the train station. My husband has been assaulted by a customer. He was bitten and now he's coughing up blood." Natsumi's puzzlement turned into concern tinged with alarm.

"I understand, Mrs. Kurusugawa. Could you hold for just a second?" Natsumi covered the mouthpiece and called to the Chief, "I have someone on the phone right now. She and her husband have that little shop by the train station. She says her husband was bitten by a patron who walked in off the street and is now coughing up blood. I'll see if I can get any more information."

Uncovering the mouthpiece, Natsumi said to the woman, "Can you tell me what happened, and why you're calling me?"

"I can't get through on 110" Mrs. Kurusugawa said, "and I don't know what to do. The man just wandered into the shop and bit my husband for no reason. Now he's coughing up blood and says he's in a lot of pain. Can you… NOOOOO!" Natsumi's eyes went wide at the scream.

"Mrs. Kurusugawa, are you alright? What's going on?" Natsumi yelled into the phone. "Did something happen to you?" Both the Chief and Miyuki looked up startled.

"I don't know what happened, but he's dead. Oh, no, my Keiichi is dead!" Mrs. Kurusugawa wailed.

"Did the man come back and do something to your husband, Mrs. Kurusugawa?" asked urgently.

"No, that man's already dead. I hit him in the head with a baseball bat when he bit my Keiichi. Now my Keiichi is gone, too!" The woman started sobbing. A feeling of horror swept through Natsumi.

"You killed the man?" Natsumi said breathlessly.

"Yes, I did." Mrs. Kurusugawa stopped. "Wait, wait… Oh, thank the gods, my Keiichi is alive! He's standing up! He's walking towards me. Keiichi, are you feeling alright now? Please say something, Keiichi.. Wait, wait, NO! NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? DON'T BITE ME! IT HURTS, IT HURTS!" Natsumi heard the phone clatter to the floor, then the line went dead.

"Mrs. Kurusugawa! Mrs. Kurusugawa!" Natsumi screamed into the handset even as the dial tone buzzed in her ear. Tears welled up in her eyes and her stomach felt like lead.

"What's wrong, Natsumi?" Miyuki asked, getting up from her chair with a concerned look on her face. The Chief stared intently at Natsumi.

"The woman I was talking to said her husband had died, but then she said he hadn't died and he was getting up but then he attacked her and bit her and then the phone went dead…" Natsumi just sat there, staring at the phone in disbelief at what she had just heard.

The Chief picked up his phone and began dialing. "I'm going to call Headquarters to see just what's going on." He dialed a number and a look of worry crossed his face. He punched a button on the phone and dialed again.

A few minutes later, they heard footsteps running down the hall in their direction. Aoi burst into the squad room, panting. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes red from crying and her uniform was splattered with blood. In her right hand she held a pistol.

The Chief put the phone down as he stood up. "What is the meaning of this, Officer Futaba? What are you doing back here, and where is Officer Nikaido?"

**"Yoriko is dead,"**** Aoi said flatly. ****"I shot her."**


	4. Chapter 1c Chief

**Chapter 1c-The Chief (4D)**

The night before everything ended, the Chief spent a quiet night with his friend and colleague, Inspector Tokuno. They met for dinner at a restaurant near Bokuto Station then went to the bar next door. It was a traditional establishment, where the two friends would drink sake and continue their seemingly never-ending Go tournament. As usual, Inspector Tokuno won the night four to two.

Returning home, the Chief went to bed at his usual time. He fell asleep quickly and before long was dreaming. The dream this night was different from his usual dreams. He was sitting in an office-it looked vaguely like his office at the station but there was something different about it at the same time. It was almost like he had gone back in time to his days as a junior officer. He recognized some of the people sitting at the desks-Yuuka Endou, Teizou Samejima and Kaori Takano, to name a few. They were all busy with paperwork. The Chief heard the "click, click, click" of an old upright manual typewriter in the room. As he looked around, he noticed a few of the desks had those typewriters on them-there was not one electric one in sight. There was only one phone-it was sitting on his desk and it looked like something out of 1940s detective movie. There were no computers, fax machines or televisions to be found in the office.

Assistant Inspector Kinoshita walked into the room. She was carrying two mugs of tea and had a file folder under her left arm. She smiled when she saw the Chief and walked over to his desk. As she approached, he noticed she was not wearing a Metropolitan Police Department uniform. It then hit him that he too was in an unfamiliar set of clothes. It seemed to be a uniform but not his regular one.

"Good morning again, Kachou" the Inspector said, smiling. "Here's your tea and here's the reports from yesterday" she continued, handing him one mug and then the file. "Natsumi and Shouji did not find any survivors in their patrol but they were only able to make it to Sugisaki Station in on the 476. The walkers were still plentiful, though."

"Thank you, Karouko" he replied, then the phone rang. The ring sounded odd-more like a buzzing than the bell he remembered from when those phones were plentiful. He just couldn't put his finger on the sound. Suddenly it occurred to him-it was his alarm and it was time to get up!

Waking up with a start, the Chief sat there for a minute, wondering what the dream meant. He then got ready for the day ahead, putting the odd dream out of his mind. Leaving his apartment, the  
>Chief went down to his Honda Legend parked in the building's garage. Easing out onto the road, he drove to one of his favorite restaurants-a family-style restaurant on the way to Bokuto Police Station that served authentic Western meals.<p>

He knew the owners, an American couple of Japanese descent who came to Tokyo to visit a few years ago and decided to stay. The food was as authentic as they could make it on this side of the Pacific. That was obvious by the number of American tourists that ate there. Dining on one of his new favorites, a Denver omelet, the Chief chuckled to himself at people who would come half way around the world to experience a foreign culture and then seek out a restaurant that served food from home.

Heading back out onto the highway, the Chief reflected on his career, especially the time he'd spent at Bokuto Station. Most people would see the post as a "backwater" that could potentially derail their career. He felt different. He was pleased with his tenure at the station. He saw it as almost a laboratory-better yet, a classroom, one in which he prepared his charges to move on to greater positions in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. He was their sensei.

He thought of the officers who had come and gone and the achievements they made. There was Nakajima, with countless commendations for his outstanding work He had earned his nickname of "White Hawk". There was Officer Saga-from a delinquent teen attempting suicide to a position at the cyber crimes unit, due to the mentoring of Kobayakawa and Tsujimoto. Speaking of that, he thought of Kobayakawa's many contributions to the department and the special training she received in America a while back. Then there was Tsujimoto. A wild one, she was, but a wildness born of passion for her work that landed her a coveted spot with the Special Assault Team and even a stint with the JGSDF Ranger Platoon. They and many other policemen and women passed through the doors of the Bokuto Traffic Section before distinguishing themselves in the MPD.

The Chief was pleased with all this. He'd rather be known for all the outstanding officers he mentored than for a personal career filled with commendations and medals. Those officers could only see their laurels when they took them out of their drawers or pinned them on their uniforms. He could see his laurels in action every day.

Pulling into his parking spot at the station, the Chief shook his head a bit. "Why am I getting so maudlin today?" he thought. It was a beautiful day, with a light breeze that stirred the cherry blossoms on the trees. As he walked to the squad room, the Chief realized he felt a slight bit of foreboding. Perhaps it was too perfect a day. Perhaps it was the moon last night-or the sake. Perhaps it was the peppers in the omelet. Or perhaps it was the was the dread that... He opened the door to the squad room to see Officer Futaba at her desk. Yes, that was it! Futaba had beaten him into work again!

"Good morning, Futaba" the Chief called out in a pleasant voice, though it was tinged with disappointment. "You're in early again, I see."

"Good morning to you, Chief" Aoi replied. "Yes, I know. I didn't sleep well last night and figured I would just come in early to catch up on some paperwork. Is that OK? I mean, you sound a bit irritated this morning."

"Oh, no, that's perfectly alright, Futaba" the Chief replied, "though the truth be told, I wish I could transplant your early bird tendency into Officer Tsujimoto-then maybe she'd be on time for once." The two of them laughed.

The Chief proceeded to his desk and began to review the reports from the night shift. Aoi continued working on his computer. Her phone rang and she picked it up.

"Bokuto Traffic Section, Officer Futaba speaking. Oh, hello, Boss. What? Yes, he just arrived. I'll have him pick up the extension." She placed the call on hold and said to the Chief, "It's my old boss from the sex crimes unit, Inspector Kumanosuke. He wants to talk to us both. It's line 4."

The Chief picked up the phone and punched line 4. "Good morning, Kumanosuke. How are you doing today? It's been a while since we talked."

"Yes, it has been, Kachou. We should get together again some time" Kumanosuke replied.

"So what's going on this morning?" the Chief asked.

"I needed to let Officer Futaba know that the Chuo rapist was released two days ago pending an appeal" Kumanosuke started with obvious concern in his voice. "I don't know why the judge agreed to it. If I had been notified when the appeal was brought up I would have been there to try and stop the release. I'm worried that he will try to get at Aoi, seeing as he has nothing to lose by it."

"How could this have happened?" Aoi blurted out. "I know you had nothing to do with it. I just can't understand what these judges are thinking!"

"I assume you're calling to advise Futaba to start carrying her pistol" the Chief stated.

"Yes, I am. I feel that due to the severity of the threat, he... er, I mean she should carry it with her all the time. Sorry, Futaba" he added.

"That's OK, Boss" replied Aoi, a grin flickering across her face. "You really haven't see me in a while."

"Speaking of which, why haven't you made the last two qualifying sessions, Futaba?" Kumanosuke asked.

"And just what's wrong with our range, Udamura?" the Chief shot back.

"Oh, nothing, Kachou" Kumanosuke countered. "It was just part of the deal with Futaba. Besides, someone has to use that range."

"I'm going to tell Tokuno you said that" the chief said with a grin. "Besides, who out shot _whom_ in the last inter-departmental pistol meet?"

"I keep telling you, it was a bad piece of sushi! You try precision aiming with your gut in flames!" Kumanosuke retorted.

"Just keep saying that" the Chief replied dryly. "However, didn't you get my faxes with Futaba's scores for the last two qualifiers?"

"Oh, yes, now I remember" Kumanosuke said. "This whole mess has my brain in an uproar. I didn't even find out until I got in this morning."

"I understand, Boss" Aoi said as she opened her bag and took the pistol case out of it. "I'm not worried about it, but I'll take precautions."

"See that you do, Aoi. Oh, and please come over here for the next qualifier, will you?" Kumanosuke pleaded. "Truth be told, I miss you. The place hasn't been the same since you transferred out."

"Alright, I will" Aoi promised. "I want to catch up on what's been going on over there, too. I'll see you then." Aoi and the Chief hung up their phones. Aoi then unzipped the case and removed her pistol and magazines. She went back into her bag, retrieved the holster and ammunition and laid everything out on her desk.

"Aoi" the Chief said in a fatherly tone, "I know how you feel about this. I think you need to let Nikaido know that you're armed before you go out on patrol today-and the reason why."

"I will, Chief" Aoi replied. "I'm just afraid she'll want to carry a pistol, too." The Chief watched Aoi fasten the holster on her belt, inspect, load and holster it and adjust her vest to conceal the gun.

"She knows she's not authorized" the Chief advised Aoi, "but you're right. Perhaps you should tell her _after_ you leave the station."

Both the Chief and Aoi turned back to their work. About 15 minutes later, the Chief's phone rang.

"Bokuto Traffic Section, Kachou speaking..." the Chief began.

"This is the personal assistant to Councilman Fujishima " the voice on the phone stated haughtily. "The Councilman wants to know if the traffic incident report has been completed."

The Chief replied, "Officer Kobayakawa hasn't even had a chance to start on it. She'll..." He got cut off.

"The Councilman needs that report by the end of the day" the personal assistant said flatly. "He has some very important business to attend to tomorrow and needs to review that report tonight."

"But, but... Kobayakawa just got the raw data yesterday afternoon!" the Chief protested.

"The Councilman doesn't care what it takes" the personal assistant insisted. "Pull the entire traffic section off the streets if that's what it takes. Just get that report here before the close of the day!" There was a loud "Click" and the line went dead. He replaced the handset.

"Bureaucrats. They're all the same" he muttered under his breath. He looked up at Aoi.

"Futaba, I need to switch you and Nikaido with Kobayakawa and Tsujimoto. You'll head out for the morning patrol in their place. You may also have to fill in for them for the afternoon."

"That's fine, Chief. I'd do anything for Miyuki" Aoi replied. "In fact, do you think she'd mind if I helped her with the data entry until its time to leave?'

"I'm sure she'd really appreciate it, Futaba. That would be a big help."

Aoi got up, went to Miyuki's 'In' basket and grabbed a stack of reports. She sat down at her computer, pulled up the program Miyuki had written and started entering information. The squad room returned to quiet, punctuated only be the clatter of keyboards.

Miyuki walked into the squad room. Looking up, the Chief beckoned to Miyuki to come to his desk.

"Officer Kobayakawa, I've made a change to the duty roster today," he started. "I'm sending out Officers Futaba and Nikaido in your place this morning. It seems that the completion date has been moved up on that report you've been assigned so you'll need to work on it today."

"When does _he_ want the report turned in now, Chief?" Miyuki inquired, pointedly

"Oh, right, I didn't say" the Chief said, a bit nonplussed. "He, er, I mean they want it today."

"Today? I just got the raw data yesterday! Does he think I'm a human computer?" Miyuki moaned.

"I'm sorry, Kobayakawa. I know how hard this request is. I'm trying to get him-I mean them to adjust the date to a more reasonable one" the Chief assured Miyuki.

"Thank you for trying to get me some more time, Chief. Well, I guess I better stop complaining and start working." With that, Miyuki turned around and went to her desk, turning her computer on as she sat down. When she opened up her programs, she saw that some of the data was already entered into the program. Aoi looked up and called over, "Miyuki, when the Chief asked Yoriko and me to stand in, I offered to start entering in the data to give you a head start."

"Thank you, Aoi! You're a big help. How much did you get put in?'

"I'm not as fast as you, Miyuki, so I've only gotten through the first 12 pages."

That's OK, Aoi. Any assistance is greatly appreciated."

Yoriko entered the squad room with a handful of mail. She called out "Good morning, Aoi" to her partner as she walked over to the Chiefs desk.

"You're in a particularly good mood today, Officer Nikaido" the Chief observed with a grin.

"Good morning Chief" Yoriko said breezily. She put all but one letter on his desk. She then turned to face her two fellow policewomen and held up the letter. "Guess who's got mail today!" she proclaimed with her usual conspiratorial glee.

"Let's see... Is it Inspector Tokuno? Perhaps it's that cute guy in the radio dispatch room..." Aoi mused. Miyuki just laughed.

Crossing over to Officer Tsujimoto's desk, Yoriko exclaimed, "No, it's Natsumi!" as she dropped the letter on the computer keyboard.

"So Yoriko, did you steam the letter open?" Miyuki teased.

"Miyuki, what are you saying? You're trying to make me out to be a busybody" Yoriko said with mock disappointment. "Besides, there was somebody else in the break room when I went by, so I couldn't get to the tea kettle!" All three women giggled as the Chief, sitting with his head down like he was reading, let a sly smile cross his face.

"Yoriko, don't get too comfortable" Aoi advised her. "The Chief's switched us with Miyuki and Natsumi and we're going on patrol first today."

"Aw, rats! I wanted to be here when Natsumi opened her letter!" Yoriko whined.

"Officer Nikaido, Officer Kobayakawa has had the completion date moved up on her report, so she needs to be in the office as much as possible today" the Chief told Yoriko. "I'm sure she'll be better able to concentrate on her work if she's not thinking about your being upset."

Yoriko blushed and bowed in the Chief's direction. "I'm sorry, Chief!" She then turned to Miyuki and and bowed again, "I'm sorry, Miyuki! I wasn't complaining. I know that is a very important report for you!"

Miyuki chuckled. "It's alright, Yoriko. I knew you were just kidding. Besides, I promise I'll give you a detailed report when you get back."

"Thanks, Miyuki! You're the best!" Yoriko beamed.

Officer Ken Nakajima and two other motorcycle officers walked into the squad room just then. They greeted the Chief and the policewomen as they went to their desks. Kenny, however, came over to Miyuki's desk. "Um, Kobayakawa, may I ask you a question?" he said nervously.

"Sure, Nakajima, you may" Miyuki replied.

"I was thinking, um, you know that new udon restaurant over by the train station? I would like to, um, meet you and Tsujimoto there for lunch today."

"Well, I don't know if I'll be able to make it, "Miyuki mused, a slight frown forming on her lips. "I'm working on a report that's become a rush job and I'll probably have to work through lunch."

The Chief looked up from his paperwork and smiled at Miyuki and Ken. "I'm not that much of a slave driver that I'd make you miss a lunch date with Nakajima" he chuckled, "and beside, that way you won't have to worry about Tsujimoto."

"Thank you, Chief" Miyuki replied, beaming. Turning to Kenny, she said "See you there at noon?"

"I'll be there!" Kenny said with a big grin on his face as he sat down at his desk. He went over the morning paperwork with obvious joy, so much so that Miyuki chuckled, wondering if this meant a new breakthrough in their relationship. She returned to her data entry, oblivious to the big smile she, too, had on her face.

The rest of the Bokuto Precinct Traffic Section day shift came in over the next few minutes, each patrolman or woman reviewing the previous night's report's and working on various projects and reports of their own. Before long, the Chief stood up and cleared his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there's not much that is going on today. The only change to the patrol roster is that Officers Futaba and Nikaido are substituting for Officers Kobayakawa and Tsujimoto this morning. Just remember, you are representing the finest Traffic section in Tokyo-Bokuto!"

Acknowledging the praise of their Chief with a cheer, the officers stood up and proceeded to their vehicles. Soon, the only two people in the room were Miyuki and the Chief. Miyuki continued to enter the information into her computer while the Chief signed the reports from the previous day. A measure of peace returned to the squad room.

All of a sudden, they heard someone running down the hallway. The door to the squad room flew open and Officer Tsujimoto stood there, breathing heavily as she leaned against the door jamb. "I-I-I was on my way to work when I heard a woman calling for help. Her baby had crawled out on a ledge, so I had to go out there to rescue it..."

"Officer Tsujimoto, I believe that is the third time this year you've saved a baby that crawled out on a ledge-and it's barely Spring," said the Chief dryly, struggling to suppress a smile. "I hope it wasn't the same child." Miyuki stifled a chuckle.

"No, Chief, it was a different child" Natsumi replied, with a crimson blush starting to rise on her cheeks. "I guess it's just fortunate that I am passing by when these things happen. I will write my apology when I get back from patrol."

"Actually, Natsumi, you can begin it now," Miyuki suggested. "Aoi and Yoriko have gone on the morning patrol in our place."

Natsumi, a look of surprise and concern on her face, bowed to the Chief. "I will write apologies to them as well. I did not mean for..."

The Chief interrupted her. "That will not be necessary, Officer Tsujimoto. I had decided to switch the patrols around anyway as Kobayakawa has a report that needs to be completed this morning. You and she will cover the afternoon patrol."

"I understand, Chief" Natsumi replied, moving to her desk. As she sat down, she spotted the letter that was placed on her keyboard. She knew immediately it was from Lieutenant Shouji Toukairin, even before she read the return address on the envelope. She broke into a big grin as she pounced on the letter. Tearing it open, her eyes lit up as they darted across the page. Her smile widened as she read.

"Good news, Natsumi?" Miyuki asked. "What is happening with Shouji?'

"He's returned from that assignment in Sapporo and is back at the Mountain Rescue training center south of Toyama. He said he should be able to make it to Tokyo this weekend," Natsumi chortled.

"That's great news, Natsumi! Should the four of us make plans, or do you want to catch up with him first?" Miyuki wondered.

Natsumi cocked her head at Miyuki. "I know we're partners and best friends and all, but what do you think I want to do this weekend?" It was Miyuki's turn to blush.

The policewomen turned to their tasks. Miyuki completed the data input and started "crunching the numbers," looking for patterns in the recent incident reports that would lead to suggestions to improve the effectiveness of the traffic patrols in the Sumida Ward.

Meanwhile, Natsumi worked on her apology letter. She stared down at her paper for what seemed like an eternity. "How do you spell 'profoundly', Miyuki?" she asked, a bit dreamily.

"Um, Natsumi, I think you need to snap out of it. It's a long way until the weekend," Miyuki offered. Just then the phone rang.

The Chief answered it. "Traffic Section, Kachou speaking."

"Chief, this is the dispatch supervisor. We're getting in a rash of assault reports."

"What?" the Chief replied.

"The reports are all the same, and they are very odd" the dispatch supervisor added.

"How so?" the Chief said, puzzled.

"All the reports indicate the victims were bitten, usually by a complete stranger."

"How many?"

"At least thirty now, and they're coming in almost faster than we can write them down. We're also seeing calls start to come in on other lines-all the same or similar reports."

"Contact all patrols and advise them to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity until we figure out what's happening" the Chief ordered.

"Everyone here is taking phone calls right now."

"I said contact the patrols" the Chief snapped. "They need to be made aware of the situation-right now." The Chief hung up the phone as the two policewomen looked at him.

"Is something happening, Chief?" Natsumi asked.

"Dispatch says they're getting a rash of calls from people claiming there are those who are assaulting others by biting them," the Chief said. It doesn't seem to be anything to worry about just yet but I want the patrols to be the lookout for anyone who is doing that so we can determine what is happening."

"People biting other people?" Miyuki mused. "What a strange thing to be doing." Is it some kind of practical joke, like on those TV shows?"

Just then Natsumi's phone rang. She picked it up, listened for about 20-30 seconds, then asked "Who is this?" Her look of puzzlement turned into a look of concern tinged with alarm.

"I understand, Mrs. Kurusugawa. Could you hold for just a second?" Natsumi covered the mouthpiece and called to the Chief, "I have someone on the phone right now. She says her husband was bitten by another person and is coughing up blood. I'll see if I can find out what's going on."

Uncovering the mouthpiece, Natsumi said, "Can you tell me what happened, and why you're calling me?" She listened intently for what now seemed an eternity, then her eyes went wide as Miyuki and the Chief heard a blood-curdling "NOOOOO!" emit from the earpiece of Natsumi's phone.

"Mrs. Kurusugawa, are you alright? What's going on?" Natsumi yelled into the phone. "Did something happen to you?" Both the Chief and Miyuki looked up startled. Natsumi listened some more. Then she asked urgently, "Did the man come back and do something to your husband, Mrs. Kurusugawa?" After a few seconds a look of horror swept Natsumi's face.

"You killed the man?" Natsumi said breathlessly. Then she sat transfixed as the two other officers could plainly hear screams from the other end of the line, followed by silence.

"Mrs. Kurusugawa! Mrs. Kurusugawa!" Natsumi screamed into the handset even as the dial tone buzzed in her ear. Tears welled up in her eyes and her face was white as a sheet.

"What's wrong, Natsumi?" Miyuki asked, getting up from her chair with a concerned look on her face. The Chief stared intently at Natsumi.

"The woman I was talking to said her husband had died, but then she said he hadn't died and he was getting up but then he attacked her and bit her and then the phone went dead..." Natsumi just sat there, staring at the phone in disbelief at what she had just heard.

The Chief picked up the phone and began dialing. "I'm going to call Headquarters to see just what's going on." He dialed the direct line to the Traffic Section at headquarters but all he got was a busy signal. A look of worry crossed his face. Pressing the 'flash' button on the phone, he tried another number. It, too, was busy. The worry deepened.

There was a sudden screech of tires from outside that was clearly audible even in the squad room. Miyuki ran to the window and looked down. A few minutes later, they heard footsteps running down the hall in their direction. Aoi burst into the squad room panting, with her hair disheveled, her eyes red from crying and her uniform splattered with blood. In her right hand she held her pistol.

The Chief put the phone down and stood up. "What is the meaning of this, Officer Futaba? What are you doing back here, and where is Officer Nikaido?" he barked.

"Yoriko is dead," Aoi said flatly. "I shot her."


	5. Chapter 1d Aoi

**Chapter 1d-Aoi 3rd Draft**

The night before everything ended, Aoi Futaba stayed up late. She hadn't meant to do so. Aoi had been invited out for a "dinner with the girls" by her partner Yoriko. She knew that Yoriko was trying to cheer up Natsumi, who was down about not hearing from her boyfriend. She begged off, however, saying she needed to clear her apartment. In truth, she was not in much of a mind to spend the night out dining and drinking. Aoi had been troubled lately and larger issues weighed heavily on her mind.

Aoi had been following the news reports about the appeals hearing of Gendo Onodera, the "Chuo Rapist". She was instrumental in putting him behind bars and the thought that she might have to testify again was unnerving. Having found out that he might be released pending the new trial was, on the other hand, chilling.

Aoi recalled the threat Onodera shouted out as he was led away after the sentencing. "I'll get out of prison some day and then you're dead-you hear, you're dead!" he shouted as he was taken through the door leading to the holding cell in the courthouse. If what she had read in the papers just that morning was true, he could be in a position to carry out that threat.

Lying in her bed, Aoi tried every tactic she could think of the get to sleep. It was to no avail. She was covered in a sheen of cold sweat, her mind racing with all the possibilities. Unable to sleep, she finally got up and did the only thing she could do to bring her any comfort. She went into her closet and moved a stack of hatboxes off a shelf, revealing a safe built into the closet wall. Spinning the dial with a practiced hand, she opened the door and pulled out a small nylon bag.

Aoi went out to her dining room table and set the case on it. Turning to the buffet on the wall, she opened a drawer, took out a mat and placed it on the table top. She then took out of the case a smaller padded case, some cans of oil and cleaners, a cardboard box and a small rod. Unzipping the padded case, she laid a Sig Sauer P232 pistol on the pad and began to disassemble it. Laying out the major components of the gun, she set out to clean and lubricate it. She reassembled the pistol then inspected and lubricated the three magazines that were with it. Aoi loaded the three magazines, placed the gun and the magazines in the case and zipped it closed. She then took the case and the rest of the box of ammunition and put them in her purse so she could take them to the station tomorrow.

Turning back to the range bag, Aoi retrieved the holster and magazine carrier from it then also

placed them in her bag. She went to put the cleaning kit back in the case, then decided to take it to work, too. As she placed the kit in her bag, she tried to convince herself that she was just being overly cautious. The unease she felt replied that she knew there was a change coming.

Returning to bed, Aoi finally managed to fall asleep... a fitful, restless sleep that was full of bad dreams. The most memorable of those dreams was a new one. Aoi pulled to a stop as she heard gunshots from a shop's recessed doorway. As she got out of her car, she noticed a group of shadows pressing in on a person in the doorway. The shadows obscured the person, so she couldn't see who it was. She pulled out her pistol and began to fire at the shadows. One by one, they melted away until all were gone and the person was revealed. Aoi couldn't quite make out who it was, but she heard Yoriko's voice say "Thank you for helping me." Immediately everything went dark.

Aoi woke up before dawn, barely rested but unable to get any more sleep. Taking a long shower, she tried to put the pieces of the night's dreams together and wondered if today would bring her closer to the answers for the nagging questions that had been floating just outside of the edges of her consciousness.

As she stepped out of the shower, Aoi considered all she had gone through. She had given up a position she loved, and seemed to have lost the ability to be close to one special person-to be able to love one person. She had gained the friends she now had however, and she was happy with the life she was leading.

She fixed a quick breakfast, got dressed and departed for work. Catching her usual train, she was again relieved that her car was nearly empty. Her reminiscing had brought back a bit of dread for the packed trains she would have had to endure if she had left later.

Walking from the train station to the police station, Aoi passed the Kurusugawas' store. She stopped in, greeted Mrs, Kurusugawa and purchased some sweet buns for the squad room. Arriving at Bokuto Station, Aoi went up to the deserted woman's locker room and changed into her uniform. She still couldn't figure out why she was suddenly reticent to be seen by her co-workers while undressing.

Aoi walked into the squad room and found only two other people in there. Kaeda Hayase looked up and said "Good morning, Aoi. You're a bit late today. Is everything OK?"

Aoi gave a sly smile and said "I just stopped at the Kurusugawas' store on my way in."

"Did you get some of their sweet buns?" Kaeda asked, her curiosity overridden by her sweet tooth.

"Is there any other reason to stop there this early in the morning? They're in the break room" Aoi replied. She walked over to her desk and sat down. Turning on her computer, Aoi pulled up the reports from the previous evening and started to review them. Kaeda quickly completed her work, then hurried to the break room to get a sweet roll before she changed back into civilian clothes. Aoi was alone in the squad room. She heard the door open and looked up to see the Chief walk in.

"Good morning, Futaba" the Chief called out in a pleasant voice, though it was tinged with disappointment. "You're in early again, I see."

"Good morning to you, Chief" Aoi replied. "Yes, I know. I didn't sleep well last night and figured I would just come in early to catch up on some paperwork. Is that OK? I mean, you sound a bit irritated this morning."

"Oh, no, that's perfectly alright, Futaba" the Chief replied, "truth be told, I wish I could transplant your early bird tendency into Officer Tsujimoto-then maybe she'd be _on_ time for once." The two of them laughed.

The Chief proceeded to his desk and began to review the reports from the night shift. Aoi continued working on her computer. Her phone rang and she picked it up.

"Bokuto Traffic Section, Officer Futaba speaking. Oh, hello, Boss. What? Yes, he just arrived. I'll have him pick up the extension." She placed the call on hold and said to the Chief, "It's my old boss from the sex crimes unit, Inspector Kumanosuke. He wants to talk to us both. He's on line 4."

The Chief picked up the phone and selected line 4. "Good morning, Kumanosuke. How are you doing today? It's been a while since we talked."

"Yes, it has been, Kachou. We should get together again some time" Kumanosuke replied.

"So what's going on this morning?" the Chief asked.

"I needed to let Officer Futaba know that the Chuo rapist was released two days ago pending an appeal" Kumanosuke started with obvious concern in his voice. "I don't know why the judge agreed to it. If I had been notified when the appeal was filed I would have been there to try and stop the release. I'm worried that he will try to get at Aoi, seeing as he has nothing to lose by it."

"How could this have happened?" Aoi blurted out. "Sorry-I know you had nothing to do with it. I just can't understand what these judges are thinking!"

"I assume you're calling to advise Futaba to start carrying her pistol" the Chief stated.

"Yes, I am. I feel that due to the severity of the threat, he... er, I mean she should carry it with her all the time. Sorry, Futaba" he added.

"That's OK, Boss" replied Aoi, a grin flickering across her face. "You really haven't see me in a while."

"Speaking of which, why haven't you made the last two qualifying sessions, Futaba?" Kumanosuke asked.

"And just what's wrong with our range, Udamura?" the Chief shot back.

"Oh, nothing, Kachou" Kumanosuke countered. "It was just part of the deal with Futaba. But I guess someone has to use _that_ range."

"I'm going to tell Tokuno you said that" the chief said with a grin. "Besides, who out shot _whom_ in the last inter-departmental pistol meet?"

"I keep telling you, it was a bad piece of sushi! You try precision aiming with your gut in flames!" Kumanosuke retorted.

"Just keep saying that" the Chief replied dryly. However, didn't you get my faxes with Futaba's scores for the last two qualifiers?"

"Oh, yes, now I remember" Kumanosuke said. "This whole mess has my brain in an uproar. I didn't even find out until I got in this morning."

"I understand, Boss" Aoi said as she opened her bag and took the pistol case out of it. "I'm not worried about it, but I'll take precautions."

"See that you do, Aoi. Oh, and please come over here for the next qualifier, will you?" Kumanosuke pleaded. "Truth be told, I miss you. The place hasn't been the same since you transferred out."

"Alright, I will" Aoi promised. "I want to catch up on what's been going on over there, too. I'll see you then." Aoi and the Chief hung up their phones. Aoi then unzipped the case and removed her pistol and magazines. She went back into her bag, retrieved the holster and ammunition and laid everything out on her desk.

"Aoi" the Chief said in a fatherly tone, "I know how you feel about this. I think you need to let Nikaido know that you're armed before you go out on patrol today-and the reason why."

"I will, Chief" Aoi replied. "I'm just afraid she'll want to carry a pistol, too." Aoi clipped the holster on her belt in the middle of her back. She picked up the pistol, did a quick inspection and then slid it into its holster. She then clipped the magazine pouch with two spare magazines just to the left of the holster and adjusted her vest to conceal the gun.

"She knows she's not authorized" the Chief advised Aoi, "but you're right. Perhaps you should tell her _after_ you leave the station."

Both the Chief and Aoi turned back to their work. About 15 minutes later, the Chief's phone rang.

"Bokuto Traffic Section, Kachou speaking..." the Chief began.

He listened for a few seconds and replied, "Officer Kobayakawa has been working on it. She'll..." He stopped.

"But, but... Kobayakawa just got the bulk of the raw data two days ago!" the Chief protested.

The Chief listened again, his cheeks reddening with anger. "I... I... I understand" he replied, then replaced the handset. Aoi heard him mutter something under his breath, then he looked up at Aoi.

"Futaba, I need to switch you and Nikaido with Kobayakawa and Tsujimoto. You'll head out for the morning patrol in their place. You may also have to fill in for the afternoon."

"That's fine, Chief. I'd do anything for Miyuki" Aoi replied. "In fact, do you think she'd mind if I helped her with the data entry until its time to leave?'

"I'm sure she'd really appreciate it, Futaba. That would be a big help."

Aoi got up, went to Miyuki's 'In' basket and grabbed a stack of reports. She sat down at her computer, pulled up the program Miyuki had written and started entering information. The squad room returned to quiet, punctuated only be the clatter of keyboards.

Miyuki walked into the squad room. Looking up, the Chief beckoned to Miyuki to come to his desk.

"Officer Kobayakawa, I've made a change to the duty roster today," he started. "I'm sending out Officers Futaba and Nikaido in your place this morning. It seems that Headquarters has moved up the date for that report you're working on so you'll have to work on it this morning."

"When do they want the report turned in now, Chief?" Miyuki inquired.

"Oh, right, I didn't say" the Chief said, a bit nonplussed. "They want it today."

"Today? I just got the raw data two days ago! Do they think I'm a human computer?" Miyuki moaned.

"I'm sorry, Kobayakawa. I know how hard this request is. I'm trying to get them to adjust the date to a more reasonable one" the Chief assured Miyuki.

"Thank you for trying to get me some more time, Chief. Well, I guess I better stop complaining and start working." With that, Miyuki turned around and went to her desk, turning her computer on as she sat down. When she opened up her programs, she saw that some of the data was already entered into the program. Aoi looked up and called over, "Miyuki, when the Chief asked Yoriko and me to stand in, I offered to start entering in the data to give you a head start."

"Thank you, Aoi! You're a big help. How much did you get put in?'

"I'm not as fast as you, Miyuki, so I've only gotten through the first 12 pages."

That's OK, Aoi. Any assistance is greatly appreciated."

Yoriko entered the squad room with a handful of mail. She called out "Good morning, Aoi" to her partner as she walked over to the Chiefs desk.

"You're in a particularly good mood today, Officer Nikaido" the Chief observed with a grin.

"Good morning Chief" Yoriko said breezily. She put all but one letter on his desk. She then turned to face her two fellow policewomen and held up the letter. "Guess who's got mail today!" she proclaimed with her usual conspiratorial glee.

"Let's see... Is it Inspector Tokuno? Perhaps it's that cute guy in the radio dispatch room..." Aoi mused. Miyuki just laughed.

Crossing over to Officer Tsujimoto's desk, Yoriko exclaimed, "No, it's Natsumi!" as she dropped the letter on the computer keyboard.

"So Yoriko, did you steam the letter open?" Miyuki teased.

"Miyuki, what are you saying? You're trying to make me out to be a busybody" Yoriko said with mock disappointment. "Besides, there was somebody else in the break room when I went by, so I couldn't get to the tea kettle!" All three women giggled as the Chief, sitting with his head down like he was reading, let a sly smile cross his face.

"Yoriko, don't get too comfortable" Aoi advised her. "The Chief's switched us with Miyuki and Natsumi and we're going on patrol first today."

"Aw, rats! I wanted to be here when Natsumi opened her letter!" Yoriko whined.

"Officer Nikaido, Officer Kobayakawa has had the completion date moved up on her report, so she needs to be in the office as much as possible today" the Chief told Yoriko. "I'm sure she'll be better able to concentrate on her work if she's not thinking about your being upset."

Yoriko blushed and bowed in the Chief's direction. "I'm sorry, Chief!" She then turned to Miyuki and and bowed again, "I'm sorry, Miyuki! I wasn't complaining. I know that is a very important report for you!"

Miyuki chuckled. "It's alright, Yoriko. I knew you were just kidding. Besides, I promise I'll give you a detailed report when you get back."

"Thanks, Miyuki! You're the best!" Yoriko beamed.

Kenny walked into the squad room with Teizou Samejima and Akihiro Noguchi just then. They greeted the Chief and the policewomen as they went to their desks. Kenny, however, came over to Miyuki's desk. "Um, Kobayakawa, may I ask you a question?" he said nervously.

"Sure, Nakajima, you may" Miyuki replied.

"I was thinking, um, you know that new udon restaurant over by the train station? I would like to, um, meet you and Tsujimoto there for lunch today."

"Well, I don't know if I'll be able to make it, "Miyuki mused, a slight frown forming on her lips. "I'm working on a report that's become a rush job and I'll probably have to work through lunch."

The Chief looked up from his paperwork and smiled at Miyuki and Ken. "I'm not that much of a slave driver that I'd make you miss a lunch date with Nakajima" he chuckled, "and beside, that way you won't have to worry about Tsujimoto."

"Thank you, Chief" Miyuki replied, beaming. Turning to Kenny, she said "See you there at noon?"

"I'll be there!" Kenny said with a big grin on his face as he sat down at his desk. He went over the morning paperwork with obvious joy, so much so that Miyuki chuckled, wondering if this meant a new breakthrough in their relationship. She returned to her data entry, oblivious to the big smile she, too, had on her face.

The rest of the Bokuto Precinct Traffic Section day shift came in over the next few minutes, each patrolman or woman reviewing the previous night's report's and working on various projects and reports of their own. Before long, the Chief stood up and cleared his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there's not much that is going on today. The only change to the patrol roster is that Officers Futaba and Nikaido are substituting for Officers Kobayakawa and Tsujimoto this morning. Just remember, you are representing the finest Traffic section in Tokyo-Bokuto!"

Acknowledging the praise of their Chief with a cheer, the officers stood up and proceeded to their vehicles. Aoi and Yoriko made their way to the garage and inspected their patrol car. Finding no problems with it, they climbed in and belted up, then Aoi started the engine and the pulled out of the stall. Proceeding to the driveway, they turned left into the flow of traffic.

As the station receded in her rear view mirror, Aoi nervously cleared her throat. "Um, Yoriko, I have something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Yoriko said absentmindedly as she watched the buildings go by.

"Well, you see... I got a call today from my old commander. Remember the serial rapist I told you about?" Aoi asked.

Yoriko replied "Sure, Aoi, I remember. You said it was your testimony that sent him to prison for a long time."

"I know" Aoi said. "Well, something has come up."

"What is it, Aoi?" Yoriko inquired, now looking at her partner.

"Well, it seems that he was released from prison on bail two days ago. For some strange reason a judge decided he should be free while his latest appeal is being heard."

"That was a stupid thing to do." Yoriko sat there and thought for a minute. "Wait... Didn't he say he was going to come after you and get you?"

Aoi nodded. "That's right, he did."

"And weren't you given permission to carry a gun if he ever got out?"

"Once again right, Yoriko."

"So does that mean you have a gun on you?" Yoriko asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes, I do."

"Where's my gun?" Yoriko asked, suddenly eager.

"Um, Yoriko... The Chief didn't think you needed one."

"Aw, man!" Yoriko whined. "How am I gonna back you up without a gun? I'm your partner, after all."

"And what did you score on your last qualification?"

Yoriko's head dropped and she mumbled something inaudible.

"What was it, Yoriko?"

"I got a 10!" she cried.

"Yoriko, that was ten rounds on the target out of what? 200 rounds?" Aoi said softly. And how many of them were in the silhouette, much less the 10 ring?"

"None."

"Yoriko, I know you always rise to the occasion when the chips are down, but I have to agree with the Chief. You're not ready to carry a gun yet."

"But how am I gonna back you up?" Yoriko was truly hurt.

Look, Yoriko, I know what we can do. I'll talk to the Chief when we get back" Aoi offered. "I think I'd be able to help you improve your score enough to change his mind... but it will take some practice."

"You will? Oh, Aoi, that's be great!' Yoriko beamed like a kid who'd just been promised an ice cream cone after a pony ride.

Yoriko soon settled down as the routine of traffic patrol set in. The two of them concentrated on the routes the schoolchildren walked each morning, making sure no inattentive drivers brought any harm to the students. Many of them waved at the pair.

They came upon Yuta, Sho, Maho and Megumi Honda walking to school. Aoi pulled over and rolled down the window. "Good morning, children" she said.

"Good morning, Aoi and Yoriko!" the children called back. Megumi spoke up and asked, "Where's Aunty Miyuki and Aunty Natsumi?"

"She's back at the station working on a report" Aoi replied.

"Was Miyuki bad?" asked Yuta.

"No, Miyuki wasn't bad, Yuta. Why do you ask?"

"Why else would she have to stay at the station?"

Yoriko spoke up "Miyuki's reports are what help us keep the speeders from flying down the streets you children use to get to school each day. She's working to make sure you all are safe."

"Then that's a good thing!" exclaimed Maho.

"Tell Miyuki thank you for us." said Sho.

"You may be able to tell her yourself, children." Aoi replied. "Miyuki should be done by noon so she'll be out patrolling when you all go home."

"OK! We'll see her then!" they all called.

"Hurry on to school now, before you are late" Aoi urged. The children ran off, waving to the women and chattering excitedly as Aoi and Yoriko continued their patrol.

As they were driving down one of the commercial streets in the route, the policewomen heard the radio crackle to life. "Attention all patrol units in the Bokuto precinct. Be on the lookout for anyone who may be assaulting innocent people and biting them. We have received numerous reports of such assaults occurring in the area. Again, watch for anyone assaulting innocent people by biting them. See if you can find out why they are doing it."

Aoi and Yoriko looked at each other in disbelief. "What do they mean, 'biting innocent people'?" Yoriko wondered.

"I don't know, Yoriko. Let's just be on our guard" Aoi cautioned.

They turned a corner and saw an older woman standing there, looking dazed. She had a bite mark on her right upper arm that was fresh and bloody but not bleeding. Yoriko pointed and said "Aoi, there's someone who looks like she needs help."

Aoi pulled the patrol car to a stop past the woman and Yoriko jumped out to go to assist the woman as Aoi called in the incident. "Dispatch, this is Bokuto car 3. We have a woman who appears to have been bitten. She has a fresh wound on her right arm. Yoriko is tending to her right now."

The radio crackled again, "We just received word-do not approach anyone who appears to have been bitten. I repeat, do not approach anyone who appears to have been bitten."

As the radio clicked off, Aoi heard Yoriko let out an ear-piercing scream. Snapping off her seat belt, Aoi bolted out of the car and looked behind to see the woman gnawing on Yoriko's outstretched arm and Yoriko screaming "NO! NO! It hurts! IT HURTS!"

Aoi pulled her pistol from its holster and ran towards Yoriko, who had by now collapsed. The woman stood over her, Yoriko's blood dripping from her mouth. Aoi's field of vision narrowed to a tunnel-like looking through a rifle scope, with Yoriko's assailant in the crosshairs. In one swift motion, Aoi brought the pistol up and the sights appeared in the center of the tunnel with the front sight centered on the woman's right temple. She squeezed the trigger and a small spurt of blood sprayed out as the .380 slug tore through her brain. Aoi immediately pulled the trigger again in the classic "double tap" that made sure the woman dropped like a stone.

As the report of the two shots echoed down the street, Aoi ran to the fallen Yoriko. The warning she had received from the station had flown out of her head. How could Yoriko be a danger to her? Yoriko's body was shaking but before she could get to her, the shaking stopped,as did Yoriko's breathing. Aoi knelt down beside her fallen partner, oblivious to what was happening around her.

The two shots had attracted attention-not of spectators, but of other people who had been bitten. They all moved towards the location of the sounds they had heard. Aoi heard the shuffling of feet and finally looked around to see about four or five other people walking towards the two of them. They had no eyes-more correctly, they had no irises any more and their pupils were pinpoints. They walked as if they had no sight.

All Aoi could think of was getting Yoriko into the car and racing to the nearest hospital. She knelt down and started to pick Yoriko up, smearing her blood on the front of her vest and blouse. Just then, Yoriko's hands twitched, then her arms flew up. Yoriko-or what used to be Yoriko-tried to grab Aoi but the policewoman tapped a long-dormant muscle memory from his high school basketball days and she managed to evade her clutches.

Aoi stepped back a few paces and cried, "Yoriko! Can you hear me?" Yoriko stood up, her head turning towards Aoi. There were the same pinpoint pupils as on the others bearing down on her. Aoi could barely process the flood of nightmarish images her eyes were seeing, but she realized that Yoriko was heading right towards her-and Aoi was sure what that thing that used to be Yoriko would do to her.

There was only one thing Aoi could do. She took aim at Yoriko and shot her in the chest. To Aoi's horror, Yoriko kept advancing. Aoi raised her gun, took aim at Yoriko's forehead and shot. Yoriko went down like a tree that had been felled.

Aoi looked around and saw that three of the.. the _things _had drawn dangerously close to her, blocking her route back to her car, so she did what she now knew she needed to do to stop them. Three quick shots to the head on the three targets and the way was clear for her to make her escape.

She jumped into the car, slammed the door closed and locked both doors. She started the engine and stomped on the gas pedal to get away from the scene of carnage. As she drove off, tears began to stream from her eyes. "Oh God, Oh God, Oh God" she cried as she raced back to the only safety she could think of-Bokuto Station.

Aoi lost count of how many of "Them" she hit as she sped through the streets-streets that somehow seemed strangely empty for the time of day. She was thankful for that, for she had a hard time seeing through her tears.

The front entrance of the Bokuto station came into her vision. Thankfully, she saw none of the... the... the word "zombies" popped into her head, but she shook it to get that notion out as she zoomed onto the station grounds and screeched to a halt. Throwing the car into park, she left the engine running and fled into the safety of the building, still clutching her pistol.

Aoi barely saw the horrified faces of the people she ran past as she made her way down the first floor hallway to the stairwell. She ran up the stairs until she got to the third floor, then tore down the hallway until she reached the squad room.

Aoi burst into the squad room panting, with her hair disheveled, her eyes red from crying and her uniform smeared with blood. In her right hand she held her pistol.

The Chief put the phone down and stood up. "What is the meaning of this, Officer Futaba? What are you doing back here, and where is Officer Nikaido?" he barked.

"Yoriko is dead," Aoi said flatly. "I shot her."


	6. Chapter 1e Yoriko

**Chapter 1e-Yoriko**

That morning started like almost any other for Yoriko Nikaido. Her alarm clock went off as usual, prompting her arm to slide out from under the covers and her hand to hit the snooze bar. Ten minutes later the process repeated. Yoriko's eyes finally opened about 5 minutes later, but she had trouble seeing the time until she found her glasses and put them on. It was 6:00 AM. Her eyes slowly closed as her brain processed the information, then snapped open again-6:00 AM! She was running late.

Yoriko hopped out of bed, quickly crossed over to the bathroom and hopped in the shower. She used every shortcut she knew but by the time she got out of the bathroom it was 6:22 AM and she was still behind. She went through her closet and found an outfit to throw on, then combed her hair and ran out to the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator door, she was confronted with mainly bare shelves. "Oh, man" she said, "I forgot to go to the market last night!" Glancing at her watch, she saw it was 6:33 AM. If she hurried, she could catch the 6:45 AM train and have enough time to get a quick bite to eat when she got to her destination.

Yoriko flew down the stairs and ran to the train station. Swiping her rail card, she blew through the turnstile and ran to the platform. She was in luck as her train pulled up just as she hit the platform. Calling out "Wait for me!" Yoriko charged into the nearest car, then just about threw herself at the first seat she found. As the train pulled out of the station, she suddenly had a thought pop into her head-had she locked the door on her way out? It was too late to go back now.

Almost the entire ride was taken up by Yoriko's fuming over her forgetting to lock her apartment. It wasn't until the train screeched to a stop at her destination that she suddenly recalled hearing the "clunk" of the deadbolt as she turned to run down the hallway outside her place. She breathed a sigh of relief in remembering that, even though she was late, she still managed to secure her apartment.

Stepping onto the platform, she noticed the station clock-it read 7:12 AM. She had gained another 3 minutes on what she needed to get to work on time. Now, what was she to do for a breakfast?

Looking around the platform, Yoriko saw nothing that interested her. She headed for the street and turned towards the station, almost walking past the convenience store of Mr. and Mrs. Kurusugawa until she smelled something wonderful coming from the door that just opened. She headed into the store. Mrs. Kurusugawa looked up, smiled and said "Good morning, Yoriko. Are you running a bit late this morning?"

"How could you tell, Mrs. Kurusugawa? Oh, and good morning" Yoriko replied.

"I usually see you passing by a bit later" Mrs. Kurusugawa replied.

Yoriko was puzzled. "Why would my being here early mean I'm late?"

"Ah, you see, you usually just pass by because you ate breakfast at home" the shopkeeper explained. "You only stop in here in the morning when you need a quick bite to eat, and I have just the thing for you this morning!" She handed Yoriko a sweet roll and a paper cup of green tea.

"Mrs. Kurusugawa, have you ever considered becoming a detective?" Yoriko asked as she took the food from her. "Thank you for this. I do appreciate it!" She sat down at one of the small tables in a corner of the store and quickly polished off the meal. Jumping back up, she said "I hate to eat and run but I now have just enough time to make it to the station. Thank you again!"

"Have a good day, Yoriko" Mrs. Kurusugawa called out to the girl as she went through the door.

Yoriko walked up the front steps of the Bokuto Police Station at 7:28 AM, waved to the patrolman at the desk as she went through the gate and walked down the hall to the stairs. Climbing up to the third floor, she headed to the women's locker room, where she greeted Miyuki and some of the other policewomen. As Miyuki headed to the squad room, Yoriko headed to the mail room to pick up the day's mail for the Traffic Section.

"Good Morning, Yoriko! How are you this morning?" asked the mail clerk, Ayaka Minami.

"I feel great today, Ayaka! How are you?" She replied.

"I'm doing well, thank you for asking. By the way, did you hear about Furukawa and Senkoji? I heard that someone spotted them at a nice restaurant last night, looking all lovey-dovey..." The two policewomen swapped gossip for a few minutes as Ayaka was one of Yoriko's best sources.

Turning to the mail slots, Ayaka pulled a stack of mail out of one and handed it to Yoriko. "You'll never guess what's in there" she said in a conspiratorial stage whisper.

Yoriko started shuffling the letters. "Chief, Chief, Traffic Section, Chief, Occupant... what? Occupant?"

"Keep going, you're getting warm" Ayaka chuckled.

Yoriko continued. "Chief, Chief, Tsujimoto, Chief... Wait!" She pulled the envelope back from the bottom of the stack and studied it intently. "So Shouji is back at the training base!"

"Natsumi is going to have her head in the clouds the rest of the day" Ayaka mused.

"Oh, I can't wait to find out what's in the letter" Yoriko said, a devious glint appearing in her eyes.

"Yoriko, I am duty bound to remind you that tampering with the Japan Post is a criminal offense" Ayaka said with mock sternness.

"But what if he envelope just happened to come open?" replied Yoriko slyly.

"Be sure to let me know what it says!" Ayaka replied, grinning.

"Gotta run! I feel like having some tea this morning" Yoriko announced, her devious glint turning into a devilish look.

Yoriko left the mail room and made a bee-line for the break room, planning to get a cup of tea and a preview of Natsumi's letter at the same time. Opening the door, she stopped dead in her tracks- standing at the coffeemaker chatting were Ken Nakajima and his motorcycle patrol buddies Furukawa and Hyoma.

"Good morning, Nikaido" said Ken. Would you like some coffee, or perhaps some tea?"

"Um, well, you see... Wrong door" Yoriko blurted out as she spun around and ran down the hall to the squad room. "Whew, I almost got caught there!" she thought to herself.

Yoriko entered the squad room carrying the mail. She called out "Good morning, Aoi" to her partner as she walked over to the Chiefs desk.

"You're in a particularly good mood today, Officer Nikaido" the Chief observed with a grin.

"Good morning Chief" Yoriko said breezily. She put all but one letter on his desk. She then turned to face her two fellow policewomen and held up the letter. "Guess who's got mail today!" she said with her usual conspiratorial glee.

"Let's see... Is it Inspector Tokuno? Perhaps it's that cute guy in the radio dispatch room..." Aoi mused. Miyuki just laughed.

Crossing over to Officer Tsujimoto's desk, Yoriko exclaimed, "No, it's Natsumi!" as she dropped the letter on the computer keyboard.

"So Yoriko, did you steam the letter open?" Miyuki teased.

"Miyuki, what are you saying? You're trying to make me out to be a busybody" Yoriko said with mock disappointment. "Besides, there was somebody else in the break room when I went by, so I couldn't get to the tea kettle!" All three women giggled as the Chief, sitting with his head down like he was reading, let a sly smile cross his face.

"Yoriko, don't get too comfortable" Aoi advised her. "The Chief's switched us with Miyuki and Natsumi and we're going on patrol first today."

"Aw, rats! I wanted to be here when Natsumi opened her letter!" Yoriko whined.

"Officer Nikaido, Officer Kobayakawa has had the completion date moved up on her report, so she needs to be in the office as much as possible today" the Chief told Yoriko. "I'm sure she'll be better able to concentrate on her work if she's not thinking about your being upset."

Yoriko blushed and bowed in the Chief's direction. "I'm sorry, Chief!" She then turned to Miyuki and and bowed again, "I'm sorry, Miyuki! I wasn't complaining. I know that is a very important report for you!"

Miyuki chuckled. "It's alright, Yoriko. I knew you were just kidding. Besides, I promise I'll give you a detailed report when you get back."

"Thanks, Miyuki! You're the best!" Yoriko beamed.

Officer Ken Nakajima and the two other motorcycle officers walked into the squad room just then. They greeted the Chief and the policewomen as they went to their desks. Kenny, however, came over to Miyuki's desk. "Um, Kobayakawa, may I ask you a question?" he said nervously.

"Sure, Nakajima, you may" Miyuki replied.

"I was thinking, um, you know that new udon restaurant over by the train station? I would like to, um, meet you and Tsujimoto there for lunch today."

"Well, I don't know if I'll be able to make it, "Miyuki mused, a slight frown forming on her lips. "I'm working on a report that's become a rush job and I'll probably have to work through lunch."

The Chief looked up from his paperwork and smiled at Miyuki and Ken. "I'm not that much of a slave driver that I'd make you miss a lunch date with Nakajima" he chuckled, "and beside, that way you won't have to worry about Tsujimoto."

"Thank you, Chief" Miyuki replied, beaming. Turning to Kenny, she said "See you there at noon?"

Yoriko took all of this in and wondered how hard it would be to persuade Aoi to have lunch at the same restaurant.

"I'll be there!" Kenny said with a big grin on his face as he sat down at his desk. He went over the morning paperwork with obvious joy, so much so that Miyuki chuckled. She returned to her data entry, and Yoriko took note of the big smile Miyuki had on her face.

The rest of the Bokuto Precinct Traffic Section day shift came in over the next few minutes, each patrolman or woman reviewing the previous night's report's and working on various projects and reports of their own. Before long, the Chief stood up and cleared his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there's not much that is going on today. The only change to the patrol roster is that Officers Futaba and Nikaido are substituting for Officers Kobayakawa and Tsujimoto this morning. Just remember, you are representing the finest Traffic section in Tokyo-Bokuto!"

With a chorus of "Right!" from the officers, they stood up and proceeded to their vehicles. Aoi and Yoriko made their way to the garage and inspected their patrol car. Finding no problems with it, they climbed in and belted up, then Aoi started the engine and the pulled out of the stall. Proceeding to the driveway, they turned left into the flow of traffic. Yoriko looked out the side window, noting that a department store near the station was having a sale.

Aoi cleared her throat. "Um, Yoriko, I have something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Yoriko said absentmindedly as she watched the buildings go by.

"Well, you see... I got a call today from my old commander. Remember the serial rapist I told you about?" Aoi asked.

Yoriko replied "Sure, Aoi, I remember. You said it was your testimony that sent him to prison for a long time."

"I know" Aoi said. "Well, something has come up."

"What is it, Aoi?" Yoriko inquired, now looking at her partner.

"Well, it seems that he was released from prison on bail two days ago. For some strange reason a judge decided he should be free while his latest appeal is being heard."

"That was a stupid thing to do." Yoriko sat there and thought for a minute. "Wait... Didn't he say he was going to come after you and get you?"

Aoi nodded. "That's right, he did."

"And weren't you given permission to carry a gun if he ever got out?"

"Once again right, Yoriko."

"So does that mean you have a gun on you?" Yoriko asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes, I do."

"Where's my gun?" Yoriko asked, suddenly eager.

"Um, Yoriko... The Chief didn't think you needed one."

"Aw, man!" Yoriko whined. "How am I gonna back you up without a gun? I'm your partner, after all."

"And what did you score on your last qualification?"

Yoriko's head dropped and she mumbled "I got a 10."

"What was it, Yoriko?"

"I got a 10!" she cried.

"Yoriko, that was ten rounds on the target out of what? 200 rounds?" Aoi said softly. "And how many of them were in the silhouette, much less the 10 ring?"

"None." Yoriko began to blush.

"Yoriko, I know you always rise to the occasion when the chips are down, but I have to agree with the Chief. You're not ready to carry a gun yet."

"But how am I gonna back you up?" Yoriko was truly hurt.

"Look, Yoriko, I know what we can do. I'll talk to the Chief when we get back" Aoi offered. "I think I'd be able to help you improve your score enough to change his mind... but it will take some practice."

"You will? Oh, Aoi, that's be great!' Yoriko nearly jumped out of her seat with joy. Pistol qualifications was one of the few areas where she could never beat her unintended rival Chie Sagamiono, no matter how hard she tried.

Yoriko soon settled down as the routine of traffic patrol set in. The two of them concentrated on the routes the schoolchildren walked each morning, making sure no inattentive drivers brought any harm to the students. Many of them waved at the pair.

They came upon Yuta, Sho, Maho and Megumi Honda walking to school. Aoi pulled over and rolled down the window. "Good morning, children" she said.

"Good morning, Aoi and Yoriko!" the children called back. Megumi spoke up and asked, "Where's Aunty Miyuki and Aunty Natsumi?"

"She's back at the station working on a report" Aoi replied.

"Was Miyuki bad?" asked Yuta.

"No, Miyuki wasn't bad, Yuta. Why do you ask?"

"Why else would she have to stay at the station?"

Yoriko spoke up "Miyuki's reports are what help us keep the speeders from flying down the streets you children use to get to school each day. She's working to make sure you all are safe."

"Then that's a good thing!" exclaimed Maho.

"Tell Miyuki thank you for us." said Sho.

"You may be able to tell her yourself, children." Aoi replied. "Miyuki should be done by noon so she'll be out patrolling when you all go home."

"OK! We'll see her then!" they all called.

"Hurry on to school now, before you are late" Aoi urged. The children ran off, waving to the women and chattering excitedly as Aoi and Yoriko continued their patrol.

As they were driving down one of the commercial streets in the route, the policewomen heard the radio crackle to life. "Attention all patrol units in the Bokuto precinct. Be on the lookout for anyone who may be assaulting innocent people and biting them. We have received numerous reports of such assaults occurring in the area. Again, watch for anyone assaulting innocent people by biting them. See if you can find out why they are doing it."

Aoi and Yoriko looked at each other in disbelief. "What do they mean, 'biting innocent people'?" Yoriko wondered.

"I don't know, Yoriko. Let's just be on our guard" Aoi cautioned.

Yoriko started scanning the sidewalks intently, looking for any odd behavior. They turned a corner and saw an older woman standing there, looking dazed. She had a bite mark on her right upper arm that was fresh and bloody but not bleeding.

Yoriko pointed and said "Aoi, there's someone who looks like she needs help."

Aoi pulled the patrol car to a stop past the woman. Yoriko jumped out and started walking back towards the woman. She heard Aoi call in the stop. She came up to the woman and said, "Ma'am, are you alright? I'd be happy to take you to hospital so they could treat that wound."

The woman turned to face Yoriko. She looked like she was half-dead. What Yoriko noticed the most was her eyes. The pupils were pinpoints and there was no other color in them. The woman began shuffling towards her and Yoriko's insides turned cold. "Wa-wa-wait, Ma'am" she stuttered, raising her arms as if to hold her off, "Pl-pl-please don't get any closer to me. I'll have my partner call an ambulance..."

Behind her, Yoriko could hear a reply to Aoi's radio call but she couldn't make out the words. She turned her head to see what Aoi was doing and when she turned back, the woman had closed the distance and was upon her. She bit down savagely on Yoriko's outstretched arm. Yoriko felt a blinding pain like she had never felt before and screamed "NO! NO! It hurts! IT HURTS!"

She heard Aoi running up behind her but she couldn't see anything but lights and shadows. Yoriko suddenly felt an intense fever race through her body. It was as if she had just stepped into the exhaust of a jet engine. Her legs gave out from under her and she collapsed to the sidewalk. The light was quickly fading into darkness and Yoriko felt like she was being boiled alive. She heard a gunshot, followed immediately by another.

Yoriko thought, "I'm going to die. I'm going to become one of them. Please, Aoi, don't let that happen." The darkness became complete.

* * *

><p>Something happened. It felt a twitching in its hands, and then it could feel something touch its body. That something was trying to pick it up. It could hear heavy breathing and it smelled flesh, sweat and something acrid it could not place. It was hungry, so it did what it knew to do. It grabbed at whatever was putting its arms around it, whatever smelled so enticing.<p>

Suddenly, its body fell back onto the hard surface. The odors diminished, but it heard a noise. It got up and turned its head towards the noise, the better to triangulate the exact source. It started moving towards the sound. There was a loud noise and it felt something hit its chest. It heard another loud noise, and everything ceased.


	7. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Aoi stumbled into the squad room, sunk to the floor and began to sob. Miyuki knelt down beside her and hugged her while at the same time gently taking her pistol out of her hand. She handed the gun to the Chief, who had also come over to the grieving policewoman and was crouching on her other side. He passed it to Natsumi, who removed the magazine, cleared the chamber and laid the gun on her desk.

"Aoi," the Chief said gently, "Why did you kill Yoriko?"

"I didn't kill her," Aoi replied, trying to regain control. "She was already dead. I just had to stop her from attacking me."

"How could that be, if Yoriko was already dead?" asked Miyuki incredulously.

Shaking her head, Aoi started crying again. "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. All I know is what I saw. I saw that woman bite Yoriko and I saw Yoriko die. I didn't think so at that moment, but I'm sure now she did. Then I saw her get back up, but it was no longer Yoriko. Her eyes were not Yoriko's eyes. That's when she turned on me and I had to stop her."

"That makes no sense," the Chief blurted out.

Aoi looked up at the Chief, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I know that. I can't explain it. All I can say is that it was like one of those zombie movies on late-night television, but it can't be! How could this happen in real life." Her voice broke as she dissolved into sobbing once again.

"Are you OK, Aoi?" Miyuki asked softly, still holding on to her. "Did anything happen to you?"

Aoi took a deep breath. "No, I didn't let Yoriko near me. I haven't been bitten."

Just then, three or four phones rang almost simultaneously in the room. Natsumi jumped, startled by the noise, and grabbed her phone. "Officer Tsujimoto. Yes. Yes. What? WHAT?" She turned to the Chief. "It's Headquarters for you. They're recalling all off-duty officers and ordering them to the nearest station-it doesn't have to be their station." The Chief stood up, crossed the room to his desk and picked up the phone.

"Kachou here. Yes. I understand. We will help however we can. What's that? No, I wasn't expecting her. No, I haven't seen her. I'll have her call when she arrives. Yes. Thank you." He replaced the phone handset on its cradle.

"Chief, what's going on? Miyuki asked, worry starting to show on her face.

"They don't know. Headquarters is calling it some type of contagion. They've recalled all off-duty officers and told them if they can't get to their duty stations to report to the nearest police station. We should expect some unfamiliar faces." The Chief looked concerned.

"Who were they asking about?" Natsumi inquired.

"Assistant Inspector Kinoshita." the Chief replied with a worried look on his face. "They said she was on her way here, but now they can't reach her, either by radio or phone."

"Were you expecting her?" Miyuki asked.

"Frankly, no. She hadn't contacted me about coming here," the Chief replied. Turning to Natsumi, he asked "Could she have talked to you, Tsujimoto?"

"No, I haven't talked to her for about three weeks, Chief" Natsumi replied, deep in thought. "I can't think of any reason she would be coming to see me."

Aoi's sobbing had quieted down but she still sat in a heap on the floor of the squad room. The Chief turned back to Miyuki and said softly, "Kobayakawa, could you please escort Officer Futaba to the infirmary? I think she needs rest."

Miyuki nodded and stood up, working the stiffness out of her knees. She took Aoi's hand and said to her, "Come on, Aoi, let's go to the infirmary so you can get some rest." She helped Aoi to her feet and supported her as they headed out of the room and down the hall.

As the two left, another person walked into the squad room. Officer Saori Saga was in street clothes but had her uniform draped over her arm. "What's going on? Why is Miyuki helping Aoi down the hall? Why is she covered with blood? Where is everybody?"

"Officer Saga, are you here because of the recall?" the Chief asked.

"Yes, Chief" Saori replied. "I got the call less than ten minutes ago. I was told to not to try to make it to my precinct but to report to the closest station to me, that it wouldn't be safe for me."

"Officer Saga," the Chief started, "we are in the midst of a situation about which we have very little hard information. What we know at this time is that there is a contagion that causes people to attack other people by biting them. For some unknown reason, this causes the victim's death-or so it seems, as they resume moving and begin to attack others. This contagion seems to be one hundred per cent fatal. If you are bit, you will die."

The color drained out of Saori's face as the Chief spoke. "Is that what happened to Aoi?"

"Thankfully, no" the Chief assured Saori. "That blood you saw on her was Nikaido's. Yoriko was bitten and Aoi was trying to save her but it was too late."

At that, tears welled up in Saori's eyes. "You mean... Yoriko is one of..._Them_?" she whispered.

"No, she's not-at least not now. Aoi was able to end her suffering" the Chief replied softly.

Saori sank back onto a nearby chair, buried her head in her hands and began to sob. The Chief moved beside her and laid his hand on her back. "Go ahead, cry it out, but remember that we'll need you to help even more now. There's no way I can even be sure how many officers will be able to respond to the recall order at this point."

Miyuki and Aoi had arrived at the infirmary. Miyuki opened the door and helped Aoi into the room. Kyou Okazaki, the nurse on duty, looked up from her paperwork and gasped at the sight of the blood-smeared policewoman. "Oh my! What happened to Futaba?" she asked as she hurried over to the two women.

"She's not physically hurt, but she's gone through a severe emotional trauma" Miyuki explained. She and Kyou helped Aoi over to a bed, where she removed her blood-stained vest and the holster and magazine pouch. She then laid down on the bed and curled into a fetal position as she resumed sobbing.

"Just what happened to her, Miyuki? And is Yoriko OK?" Kyou asked as she covered Aoi with a light blanket.

"Let's talk over at your desk, Kyou" Miyuki replied, looking back towards Aoi. Kyou silently nodded her agreement and they sat down at Kyou's desk. Miyuki leaned in towards Kyou and began. "There's something extremely strange happening in the city. Apparently there's some sort of contagion-at least that's what Headquarters called it-that makes people start attacking others and biting them. From what we've gathered, if you're bitten, you die-but then you return to-return to..." Miyuki stopped, grasping for the words.

Kyou was wide-eyed and white as a sheet. "Do you mean the dead get back up and start attacking people?"

"From what we could get out of Aoi, that appears to be as good an explanation as any at this time" Miyuki stated.

"Is it like a rage? Are they driven to attack by the sight of other humans?" Kyou wondered.

"I don't know. Aoi didn't get into too much detail. She did say one thing that I can't get out of my head, though. She said that when Yoriko got back up, her eyes were not Yoriko's eyes. That was when Yoriko attacked Aoi and Aoi had to shoot her."

Kyou gasped. "How horrible! I know how close those two had become. No wonder she's distraught."

Miyuki nodded. "I know. Please take good care of her, Kyou. I have to get back to the squad room. Let me know when Aoi is able to talk again. She's the only one we know of at this time who has had an encounter with them. We need to know what we're up against." She stood up to leave.

"You don't have to worry about that!" Kyou said emphatically. She spontaneously hugged Miyuki. "What's going to happen? This is like a bad TV horror movie."

"At least in the movies, the good guys win in the end. I hope we have the same luck." Miyuki hugged Kyou back and then walked out the door. Miyuki stopped in the woman's bathroom to splash some cold water on her face. Looking up from the sink, she hardly recognized the woman in the mirror-the worry and fatigue already showing on her face took her aback. She wondered if anything would be the same again.

Miyuki walked back into the squad room. It was busier that when she and Aoi left just a few minutes earlier. Natsumi was on the phone, along with about four or five other Traffic Squad officers back from the street, including Furukawa and . Inspector Tokuno was standing at the Chief's desk, while the Chief divided his attention between the Inspector and the phone.

There were some faces Miyuki didn't recognize but one she did. She hurried over to Saori's side. Saori looked a mess, her eyes red-rimmed from crying. She was still in her street clothes with her uniform over one arm. Miyuki hugged Saori and said, "Let me help you down to the locker room so you can change."

Saori looked up, croaked out "Miyuki!" and burst into tears again. She stood up, however, and let her senpai escort her to the locker room. Saori sat down and started to take off her blouse. She looked defeated. "Why did this have to happen, Senpai? Why Yoriko?"

Miyuki took Saori by the shoulders and looker straight in the eyes. She said quietly but firmly "You know there's no answer to those questions. This is all fate. I feel as bad about this as you do-worse, even. It should have been Natsumi and me out there, but I had to finish that damned report. It could have been different if it was Natsumi and me-but it wasn't! All we can do is pull ourselves together and do everything we can to contain or even reverse this situation. It's what Yoriko was trying to do-it's what Yoriko would want us to continue to do!"

"Senpai" Saori said weakly, "I know all that. I'll get myself together. It's... it's just the shock is so great." She sniffled and tears welled up in her eyes.

"I know, Saori, I know. We just have to fight to get out to the other end of this-then we can try to understand." With that, Miyuki smiled, turned and left the locker room.

Walking back to the squad room, Miyuki looked around at her fellow officers rushing about the hallway. The looks on their faces ranged from concern to dread. Recalling her reflection in the mirror, Miyuki decided she would try to put on a good face. She walked into the room.

As Miyuki walked into the room, the Chief was wrapping up his phone call. He hung up the phone, conferred with Inspector Tokuno for a minute then stood up and cleared his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have just conferred with Headquarters" the Chief began. The officers quieted down and looked at the Chief. Inspector Tokuno stood behind him and off to his right.

"This is what we now know" he continued. "Headquarters is calling this a contagion. They do not know where it came from,what caused it or why it is happening. From reports they have received from the national government, it appears to have simultaneously appeared all over the country. Sketchy reports from overseas indicate it may be a world-wide pandemic." There were gasps from some of the officers.

"Not much is known at this time about the spread of the contagion. Some areas of the city have been heavily hit wile some appear to be relatively clean. Sumida ward appears to be in the former category." The Chief could see the fear rising in the eyes of his men and women. Only Miyuki and Natsumi seemed to be hiding-or fighting-their fear to any extent.

"Headquarters has tasked some precincts to attempt to contain the contagion while others are to "bunker down" and assist their wards as best as they can. We're assigned to assist within Sumida." A groan could be heard from some of the officers. One muttered softly "those bastards have hung us out to dry..."

"We are to do our best in assisting our residents who are in trouble" the Chief continued emphatically. "Officers are to assist any unaffected civilian who needs help and, if necessary, evacuate them to here. To protect the civilians under your charge as well as yourself, any officer that is tasked to respond to calls for help will be armed." At that, everyone went silent.

"We're still working on the criteria for distributing weapons as our armory is not very large. Until that time, no one will be leaving the station. We will determine the assignments as quickly as possible and prepare you for your assignments at that time. It is getting close to lunch time. If you can, I would suggest getting a meal in now. Please remember that we do not know when the cafeteria will be able to get supplies again. Please be conservative. That is all for now."

As the officers filed out, Miyuki sat down next to Natsumi. Natsumi asked "How is Aoi doing?"

Miyuki replied, "She was crying her eyes about when I left the infirmary. Kyou said she'd keep an eye on her. She'll let us know when Aoi is up to talking again."

"That's good. She's had the most contact with the... with the..." Natsumi trailed off, searching for the proper term.

"I know. I hate to do it, but we need the intel" Miyuki stated.

"Listen to you, girl!" Natsumi said with a weak smile. "That must be from your time in America."

A small grin crossed Miyuki's lips, then she turned serious. "I never thought I'd have to be doing this to one of my friends." She heard the door open as Kyou leaned in.

"Miyuki, Aoi said she feels up to talking with you now" she said, then she noticed Natsumi. "Oh Hi, Natsumi. I think Aoi would like to see you, too." She closed the door.

The two policewomen walked out of the squad room then Miyuki stopped, a puzzled look on her face. "Natsumi, did you see Kenny in there during the Chief's announcement?"

"No, I didn't, Miyuki" Natsumi replied. They both stopped dead in their tracks, Miyuki as white as a sheet.

With fear tinging her voice, Miyuki whispered "I wonder when Kenny is?"


	8. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Miyuki and Natsumi walked into the infirmary and found Aoi sitting on the side of the bed she had been lying in. She was chatting with Kyou as she sipped a mug of tea. Her eyes were still a bit puffy but she had changed into a clean uniform and her hair was combed out. She looked up as her friends came in.

"Miyuki, Natsumi, don't worry. I'm doing better now" she said. "Kyou gave me something to help calm me down and this tea is going a long way to help."

"I'm glad to hear that, Aoi" said Natsumi as she pulled up a chair, spun it around and sat down in it backwards. She leaned her chin on hands propped on the back of the chair. "We know... wait, let me rephrase that. We can't know what it was like, we can only imagine and I don't think the two of us together could imagine something so horrendous."

Aoi shook her head. "I wish I could start this day over. I wish we hadn't come upon that woman. I almost wish it was me and not Yoriko..." Tears started to well up in her eyes again, but she took a deep breath and calmed down. "Anyway, we need to talk."

Miyuki had sat down in another chair. She turned to Kyou and asked "Do you have a voice recorder?"

"Yes, I do" Kyou replied. She went to her desk, opened the drawer and got the recorder, then brought it to Miyuki. "Do any of you want me to leave?" she offered.

Miyuki looked at Natsumi and Aoi, who both shook their heads "no." She turned back to Kyou and said, "I think we could benefit from your medical insight. Please pull up a chair and stay."

As Kyou went back to her desk to get her chair, Miyuki turned the recorded on and spoke. "This is Officer Miyuki Kobayakawa. With me is Officer Natsumi Tsujimoto and Kyou Okazaki, RN. We are interviewing Officer Aoi Futaba concerning her recent encounter with those who have been victims of the contagion presently spreading through Tokyo." At that, Aoi's eyes widened and the color began to drain from her face. She took a deep breath and steadied herself. Miyuki heard a similar noise next to her. Turning, she saw that Kyou was reacting the same.

"Aoi, let's start with a report of the incident" Miyuki prompted.

Aoi took a deep breath. "We were patrolling in the business district-I should say it was Officer Yoriko Nikaido and myself. I was driving. We received a radio bulletin advising us to be watching for any assaults that may be occurring. What struck us as odd is that we were to specifically look for people who were biting other people. Yoriko questioned what they meant by 'biting other people' so we we're sure just what to look for." She took a sip of her tea. Miyuki noticed her hand was slightly shaking.

Aoi continued. "Yoriko spotted a woman standing on the sidewalk. She was south of the train station about three blocks from the station. She pointed her out to me and we pulled over. Yoriko jumped out of the car and approached the woman as I called dispatch to report the stop. It was then we got the warning not to approach any victims. I placed the mic back in its clip and heard Yoriko scream. I got out of the car and ran towards Yoriko. She collapsed on the sidewalk and the woman wh had bit her was looking like she was about to pounce on her like a hungry predator. I pulled out my pistol and shot the woman twice in the head. She dropped immediately."

Miyuki interrupted her. "Why were you carrying a gun, Aoi? As far as I know, you're not authorized to carry one on duty" she asked more quizzically than accusingly.

Aoi nodded her head. "Let me back up a minute. I have been authorized to carry a pistol under certain circumstances, mainly if the Chuo rapist had been released. We-the Chief and I-found out this morning that he was out on bail pending an appeal. The Chief approved my arming myself."

"I hope you understand, Aoi, I just needed you to get that on the record" Miyuki assured her.

She nodded again. "It's alright. It needed to be said. I came up to Yoriko and tried to pick her up. She looked like she was dead. I didn't think the warning would apply to my partner, and especially when she had just been bitten. She suddenly started and appeared to come back to life-but she was not alive, as best I could tell."

"How could you tell, Aoi?" Kyou interjected.

Aoi closed her eyes and thought. "She felt like dead weight, even after she started moving again. I can't remember her breathing and her eyes were... were not Yoriko's eyes. The pupils were pinpoints and the irises had disappeared. No, wait. They had appeared to have turned white."

"Anything else you can remember, now that you're thinking back?" Kyou encouraged.

Aoi thought some more. "Oh, something just hit me. Her body was hot-much hotter than I thought a human body could be."

Kyou had grabbed a notepad and was scribbling furiously. "And about how long was it from when you believe Yoriko was bitten to when she..."

"Died?" Aoi asked.

"Sorry, Aoi, I didn't mean it that way."

"No, that's alright. I know this is all important. It was-it seemed to be only a matter of seconds. Just enough time for me to cover about 5-7 meters. I got down on one knee, scooped her body up and it began to move. She tried to grab me. I moved like I haven't moved since I was on the basketball court and got away from her. Then I shot her twice. Fifteen seconds, at the most." Aoi sank back on the bed.

Miyuki spoke up. "You're doing fine, Aoi. Just a few more questions. You said you shot Yoriko's attacker twice and just now you said you shot Yoriko twice. Was the reason the same both times?"

Aoi thought a second, then sat bolt upright. "NO! I mean, no, it wasn't for the same reason. When I shot the woman, the only good shot I had on her was a left profile into her temple. I did a double tap to make sure I took her out." Aoi stopped, took a deep breath and continued, though her voice wavered. "I first shot... Yoriko... in the chest. Center mass. It should have stopped her, even with .380 ammunition. She didn't even flinch. I aimed for her forehead, and one shot dropped her instantly. I had to shoot three more of them to get back to the car. I shot them all in the head and they all went down immediately."

"Aoi, that may be the most important piece of information we get from this whole mess" Natsumi said. Aoi nodded.

"I think we have enough for now, Aoi" Miyuki said, picking up the recorder and stopping recording. "I think the Chief would want you to lie down some more. It sounds like we're going to be in for a long stay here." Miyuki and Natsumi stood up.

Tears started to stream down Aoi's cheeks again. "I... I..."

Miyuki gave Aoi a big hug. "I'm sure Yoriko knew you did it only to save her." She helped Aoi lay back down and then put her chair back. Natsumi came back from replacing her chair and hugged Aoi. "You rest up. We need you."

The two policewomen returned to the squad room. Miyuki went up to the Chief's desk and handed him the recorder. "Aoi gave us some good information. She said that the only way she could stop them was by shooting them in the head."

"That's valuable information. I must go down there in a bit to thank Aoi for it" the Chief said. Kyou ran into the squad room and up to the Chief's desk. "Aoi said she just remembered another detail" she said, panting. "It seems they react to sound, not sight."

"We're going to have to get this information out to anyone still in the field. They'll need to be as quiet as they can." The Chief picked up the phone.

Miyuki had turned to go back to her desk. At the word "field" she turned white and spun around, tears welling up in her eyes. "Chief" she called, her voice wavering. "Has anyone heard from Nakajima?"

The Chief stopped dialing and set down the phone. "Wasn't Nakajima here for the briefing just a few minutes ago?"

With a growing look of horror on her face, Miyuki choked out "I haven't seen him since he left on patrol this morning."

The Chief picked the phone back up and called the dispatch office. "Kachou here. Has anyone heard from Nakajima since everything blew up?" He listened for a few seconds.

"WHAT?" he yelled. "Why wasn't I told about this? Where was it found? Was there any evidence of a struggle or an accident? Get back to me ASAP, about both of them!"

He looked up to see Miyuki trembling and Natsumi hugging her tightly. Fear was in both women's eyes. "Nobody's heard from Nakajima. Worse news, they found Inspector Kinoshita's car. It had been in an accident but she wasn't in it, and there's no sign of where she went. As soon as we get some officers armed, we'll make it our top priority to find both of them. You have my word."

Natsumi blew up. "When WILL that be?" she screamed.

Miyuki grabbed Natsumi's shoulder and shook her. "Natsumi, calm down!" She turned to the Chief. "Chief, I want to go out after Kenny."

"No, Miyuki" the Chief said sternly. "You're clearly too emotional at this point. I don't... Kenny wouldn't want to lose you because you got reckless."

At that, Miyuki's head jerked. She glared at the Chief for a few seconds, then dropped her eyes. "You're right, Chief. I'm sorry." She began to cry. "I'm just so scared."

The Chief came over to Miyuki and put his hands on her shoulders. "We're all scared, Miyuki. You've been holding up better than most, but the strain is starting to wear on you. Take a few minutes for yourself. _They_ will still be there when you get back."

There was a commotion out in the hallway. They all looked up as Officer Hyoma came running in the room. He shouted "Nakajima just came back and he has Inspector Kinoshita with him. They're in the infirmary now!" Miyuki and the Chief ran out of the squad room, followed closely by Natsumi.

They piled into the infirmary only to be stopped by Kyou-she was standing there with outstretched arms. "And _where_ do you all think you're going?"

Nakajima popped his head out from a curtain around a bed that was two down from Aoi's. He spotted the three visitors. "Miyuki!" he shouted as he ran to her, picked her up and spun her around. To the great surprise of all, Kenny whipped off his signature sunglasses and kissed Miyuki-a long, lingering, passionate kiss. Natsumi burst out laughing at Kenny's sudden boldness while the Chief just smiled

When he let up, Miyuki nearly went limp in his arms from relief and exhaustion. Then she stiffened and started hitting Kenny in the chest with both fists. "Why didn't you call in? Why did you put me through this hell? Where were you?"

"Let's go sit down somewhere" Kenny said. "Have I got a story to tell you all!"

Miyuki, Natsumi and Kenny walked to the door, but the Chief stayed where he was. Kenny asked him "Aren't you coming, Chief?" "No," the Chief replied, "I need to check on the Inspector and let Headquarters know she's safe. Even with the present crisis, I'll get in trouble if I don't report on her right away. Oh, and don't be too long-this crisis has just started." He crossed over to Kyou's desk as the other three left the infirmary.

The Chief's expression turned to concern as he asked Kyou, "How is the Inspector? Was she hurt badly?" Kyou shook her head and replied "No, she jut received a minor cut on her forehead and slightly sprained her left wrist. She might have a slight concussion but she will be alright."

"Could I go see her?" the Chief inquired.

"She was resting, thought she probably isn't now since that greeting between Miyuki and Kenny" Kyou said. "Though I'm happy to see he may have gotten ove4r his shyness. A near-brush with death can do that to a person." The Chief looked at her, puzzled. Kyou continued, "You'll just have to hear it from him. Let me go see if the Inspector is up to speaking with you." She walked off to the closed curtain.

The Chief couldn't quite make out what the two women said, then Kyou poked her head around the curtain and said, "She says she's feeling good enough to talk with you. Come on back."

The Chief came around the curtain and saw Assistant Inspector Karouko Kinoshita lying in bed. She had a bandage on her right temple and her left wrist was wrapped. There was a white powder on the front of her uniform that the Chief recognized as coming from the airbag in her car. Otherwise she looked unhurt. She smiled when she saw the Chief.

"It sounds like you've had a rough morning. Are you up to talking about it?" the Chief inquired.

"Well, aside from a headache and the ache in my left wrist, I feel fine" Inspector Kinoshita said. "Pull up a chair and I'll tell you what I can."

Kyou came back with a chair, set it down by the Inspector's bed and said "I'll leave you two to talk in private." She then went back to her desk.

Sitting down, the Chief took the Inspector's right hand and said "I'm relieved to see you are OK, Inspector." She looked him straight in the eye and said "Since it's just us, let's drop the formalities, Kachou." The Chief smiled.

"I didn't know you were coming over here, Karouko. When I got the call you were missing I was worried, what with all that's been going on this morning" Kachou confessed.

"Well, it wasn't an official visit" Karouko admitted. "I was just going to drop in on Natsumi-and I was hoping to see you, too."

"So, tell me what happened. I haven't heard anything from Nakajima." Kachou insisted.

"I had just come over the new bridge and was at that first stoplight coming this way" Karouko began. "I was listening to a radio call-something about watching out for some rash of assaults that were occurring-when an oncoming car ran through the stop light and hit a glancing blow off the right front fender of my car. It wasn't enough to set off the airbag but it was enough for me to hit my head against the side window. My foot slipped off the brake, I shot forward and slammed into a light pole. The last thing I remember is the airbag going off." Kachou nodded, a slight frown on his face.

"So how does Nakajima come into this?" he asked.

"Officer Nakajima came across my car while out on patrol." Karouko continued. "His knocking on the side window was the first thing I recall after coming to. He helped me out of the car and asked if I felt steady enough to ride on the back of his motorcycle. "I told him I did, so he helped me get on his bike and drove me here."

"Did Nakajima sat why he wanted to bring you here on his bike?"

Karouko thought. "No, he didn't. He did seem very concerned and avoided the people who started to gather around us, then got out of there very fast." She thought a few seconds. "Wait. Is this somehow related to that radio call I heard?"

Kachou sat back in his chair. Karouko saw he was concerned. He said, "So it appears that you may be the only one in Tokyo who is not aware of what's going on right now. I'm afraid it's bad news."

"If it's that bad, I'll need to get up to speed right now" She replied. "What's going on?"

Kachou leaned forward with his hands folded in his lap. "I know what I'm about to tell you will sound like a plot for a bad late-night horror film-but it's really happening on the streets of Tokyo-and perhaps around the world. They're calling it a contagion. If you're infected with it, you die, but you come back to... no, I mean you 're-animate' and spread the contagion."

"How is is spread?" Karouko asked.

"Those who are... infected... attack others by biting them. Whether it's a simple bite or they do more is not clear at this time. What is clear is that if you are bitten, you die-then you re-animate."

Karouko sat there stunned. "You're right. It sounds like a zombie movie."

"That's how Officer Futaba described it" Kachou said.

"Officer Futaba? Was she attacked?" Karouko gasped.

"Yes, but she wasn't bitten. She managed to get away from some of them. However, her partner, Officer Nikaido, wasn't as fortunate."

"Yoriko?" Karouko's face went white and tears welled in her eyes.

"Yes. Apparently, she encountered one just as the radio call went out warning everyone not to approach any victims." Kachou looked devastated.

"And this is happening world-wide?' Karouko asked, her voice nearly a whisper.

"As far as I know, it is. I've been too busy to watch TV and information from Headquarters has been sketchy" Kachou admitted.

They sat quietly for a few minutes.

"Now that my car's wrecked, I don't know how I'll get back to Headquarters" Karouko said, her voice wavering.

Kachou frowned. "They may come to pick you up, but it's more likely you may not get back to Headquarters anytime soon. Sumida ward has been declared a contagion zone."

"Can this day get any worse!" Karouko exclaimed. They heard footsteps approaching rapidly. Kyou poked her head around the curtain, "Is everything OK?"

"Oh, sorry to startle you, Okazaki" Karouko said. "I just found out that I may not be able to get back to Headquarters."

"I understand, Inspector" Kyou assured her. "I don't know which is worse-the frustration or the fear. Chief, I think we should let the Inspector get some more rest. We'll need her to be sharp later." She turned and walked away.

"That's a good idea" Kachou said as he got up to leave. Karouko reached out and grabbed his hand. She said quietly, "Kachou, I didn't mean that quite the way it came out. While I know I should be at Headquarters, I'm glad that I would up here-with you."

"I wish you were in a safer place, Karouko" Kachou confessed. "but I'm glad that you're here, too. Perhaps fate has stepped in."

Karouko blushed slightly. "I thought you would be. When this is over, we need to have a nice talk."

Sporting a big smile for the first time in a few hours, the Chief walked around the curtain and headed for the door. Kyou heard him walking down the aisle between the beds and looked up. "It looks like something good is going on" she said impishly. The Chief blushed. Kyou continued, "Don't worry, Chief. I'm a medical professional. I know how to maintain my patients' privacy. By the way, I already called Headquarters to let them know the Inspector was safe"

"Thank you, Kyou" the Chief said absentmindedly. He continued to smile as he walked out of the infirmary and headed for the cafeteria.


	9. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 (3D)**

On the night before everything ended, Kenny Nakajima spent a quiet evening with his parents. In this case, however, that didn't mean small talk, card games or watching TV. It meant motorcycles, tools and lots of work.

Kenny had come to Zapper, the motorcycle shop his father Daimaru and stepmother Sena ran together, to work on his father's latest acquisition-a 1958 Meguro S3 250cc in desperate need of some TLC.

Kenny was sitting on a stool in front of the lift that held the frame and wheels of the motorcycle. Daimaru was on the other side of the lift, making final torque adjustments to the engine. He picked up the engine, turned around and expertly placed the motor back on its mounts. Kenny helped guide the engine to its proper position and began the job of securing the engine back onto the frame.

As they sat there tightening the mounting bolts, Daimaru cleared his throat, looked through the frame at Kenny and asked "So, how are things with Miyuki and you going, son?"

Sena was walking in the workshop with a couple of mugs of tea as Daimaru asked his question. She clucked her tongue and said "Daimaru, honey, you shouldn't be asking such questions of our son."

Kenny's face reddened, as much by being called "son" by a stepmother that was younger than him as by the personal nature of the question his father asked. "Uh, uh... why are you asking, Dad" he replied, his voice wavering just a bit.

Daimaru started 'Son, I'm just..."

Sena jumped in and said "Your father's just getting tired of being only an uncle to Megumi. He wants to become a full-fledged grandfather."

It was Daimaru's turn to have his face redden but he had a big grin. "I'm wanting to hear the pitter-patter of little feet in the shop so I can spoil them rotten and send them home to you."

Kenny sat back on his stool and sighed. "I know what you mean, Mom and Dad. I want to marry Miyuki and have lots of kids but... but something's holding me back. I can be fearless on a motorcycle or when facing a criminal but just looking at Miyuki turns me into a bowl of mush."

"Why are you that way when you love her so much?" Sena asked softly.

"I... I... I guess I'm afraid of losing her" Kenny replied, his eyes downcast.

"Kenny, what about Miyuki?" Sena pointed out. "Did you ever think she might be afraid of losing you?"

"How could she lose me?" Kenny asked.

Daimaru spoke up. "Son, you're a motorcycle cop in a big city. Not only are there chances you could be assaulted by a criminal-even killed-but she could lose you in a traffic accident."

Kenny sat there and thought about what his parents had said. "You know, I never looked at it that way" he finally admitted. "I guess I've always looked at myself as invincible-the White Hawk of Bokuto. I didn't think that Miyuki might ever have such worries about me."

"Son, she knows you have feelings for her" Daimaru said. "Perhaps it's time to show her just how deep those feelings really are."

Kenny grinned. "That might mean I wouldn't be here as often to help you, Dad."

Sena chuckled. "Or it might mean that the four of us would be out here working on this bike." They all laughed at that, then Sena added "come on, clean your hands, the two of you. Your tea is getting cold!"

Miyuki, Natsumi and Kenny walked into the cafeteria. As Kenny came in, a cheer erupted from the officers assembled there. Miyuki blushed but Kenny broke out in a big smile.

"Good news travels fast" Natsumi chortled.

"I never thought I could be this embarrassed" Miyuki replied. They went over to the serving line, got cups of tea and sat down at a nearby table.

"With all that we've been through, we needed a little bit of good news" Natsumi admitted. "Seeing Kenny become a man was one of the best things that could have happened today." Turning to Kenny, Natsumi continued, "So just why did you do that, Nakajima?"

Kenny turned serious. "I realized I'd been a fool for wasting all those years by being shy. I wanted to have a lovely future with Miyuki. After being out on the street this morning, I know that we can't have a lovely future, but I want us to try to have some type of future."

"Is it that bad, Kenny?" Miyuki asked.

Kenny could see fear in her eyes. "I can't lie to you. It is bad, and probably is going to get worse."

Natsumi suddenly got a panicked look on her face. "Shouji!" she exclaimed. I completely forgot about him!"

"I'm sure he's alright, Natsumi" Kenny said, trying to reassure her. "From what I remember, the training facility is pretty secure."

Natsumi stood up. "I still need to know. I need to hear his voice. I've got to go." She headed for the cafeteria door.

"Natsumi, your tea!" called Miyuki to her partner. Natsumi made a beeline to the door and did not appear to have heard the call. "Oh, well. I'll take it to her later." Turning to Kenny, Miyuki asked "So what happened to you out there?"

Kenny got quiet, then began. "The day started out like always. I was moving around from street to street keeping an eye on the children as they walked to school. I gave out three tickets for speeding and one for driving the wrong way on an one way street. By then, it was time to switch over to the main streets so I went over by the river to patrol the area around the new bridge. It was actually quiet there, so I started widening my patrol area. I should have realized it was getting too quiet."

"What do you mean, 'too quiet'?" Miyuki asked.

"It was odd" Kenny continued. "There weren't many people on the street, even though it was mid-morning on a weekday. It was like they suspected something was happening, perhaps from news reports. As I rode down the street by the station, I heard the radio call about the assaults." Kenny stopped, a puzzled look on his face. "Now that I think of it, just after I got the call, I saw Yoriko and Aoi-they passed me going the other way and turned a corner. Then I saw their car out front when I came back to the station, but I haven't seen them around."

"Kenny, I have some bad news" Miyuki said with a heavy sigh. "Yoriko was bitten by one of them and Aoi had to shoot her."

"What? You're joking, aren't you?" Kenny exclaimed. People around them turned and looked at the two. Miyuki's eyes were once again brimming with tears. "You're serious" he said. "How is Aoi?"

"She's devastated. I think she was in one of the other beds in the infirmary" Miyuki replied, wiping her eyes with a napkin.

Kenny sat back and shook his head. "I can't believe it."

"So how did you find Inspector Kinoshita?" Miyuki inquired quietly.

Kenny closed his eyes as he collected his thoughts. Opening them, he continued. "I got to the next main street and saw a car fly by as a high rate of speed. I only got a glimpse of the driver but he looked like he was in a panic. I also saw the top of someone's head in the back seat. I realized he might be trying to get a sick or injured person to a hospital, but He wasn't heading in the right direction so I took off after him. I was going to stop him to confirm my suspicions and escort him to the hospital. He was about 4-5 blocks ahead of me, so I really had to gun it.

"I almost made it to him when I saw some movement in the back seat. All of a sudden, the car seemed to double its speed-the it started careening from side to side. Before I could get close to him, he sideswiped a black sedan and drove it into a lamppost, then ricocheted into a storefront. Before I could get to the car, it exploded in a ball of fire. There was nothing I could do for them, so I turned back to the black sedan."

"Don't tell me..." Miyuki gasped, he hand to her mouth. By now, everyone around them had stopped talking and were listening intently to Kenny's story.

"Yes, it was Inspector Kinoshita" Kenny nodded. "She was stunned but she only had a cut over her right eye. Her airbag had protected her. The driver's door was jammed but not too bad and I was able to get it open and the Inspector out of the car. She was conscious but somewhat dazed. She must have been OK, because she recognized me immediately. Just then I noticed the spectators around us... or what I took to be spectators. Something didn't look right."

Miyuki gasped. "How many were there?"

Kenny got a faraway look. "About three or four. They had that vacant stare and they just shuffled closer. I knew we had to get out of there, so I asked the Inspector if she felt up to riding on my motorcycle. She looked around and told me she'd be fine with it." He stopped. A look of horror crossed his face. "Oh, no! I just realized one of those people was Mrs. Kurusugawa from the store by the station!"

Miyuki closed her eyes and dropped her head into her hands. "I know. She was on the phone with Natsumi when her husband attacked her."

The color drained from Kenny's face. "How many of our friends and family will this claim? What about Dad and Sena?" Miyuki's head came up and she reached out for Kenny's hand. "I wouldn't worry about them. Daimaru will protect Sena and they're both smart enough to avoid trouble." She gave him a tenuous smile. "So what happened then?"

Regaining his composure, Kenny said, "I helped the Inspector onto my bike and got out of there as quickly as possible. The only problem was I had to take a winding route back to the station as I tried to avoid... _them_... as much as possible. It almost seemed like their numbers were growing exponentially and they were all attracted to me."

"That's because they seem to react only to sounds" Miyuki offered. "I'm glad you did, Kenny. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." Tears began forming once again in her eyes.

Kenny took her hands in his. "That's not going to happen-now or ever."

The Chief walked into the cafeteria. Everyone looked at him with a mixture of anticipation and dread. Only Miyuki spoke.

"How is the Inspector, Chief?" she asked, keeping her voice as steady as she could.

"For all she was through, she's doing remarkably well" he replied. Turning to Kenny, he continued, "Nakajima, I need to thank you for getting her here safely. I don't know what I... I mean, _we_ would have done if she had been injured more severely... or worse."

"Thank you, Chief." Kenny replied. "Will the Inspector be going back to headquarters soon?"

The Chief looked around the cafeteria. He saw a sea of concerned faces. He realized there was no good time to make the announcement so he set his jaw and replied, "No, she won't be going back to headquarters. In fact, Sumida ward is under quarantine as a major contagion hotspot. Ladies and gentlemen, we are here for the duration, it seems."

A young dispatcher in one corner of the room started quietly weeping. Her co-worker consoled her. The rest sat or stood there, stunned.

Kenny broke the silence. "What's our orders?"

"We are to maintain order as much as possible, shelter as many uninfected people as possible here at the station and hold on until further notice" the Chief declared. Grim determination replaced fear as the officers of Bokuto Precinct realized the formidable task at hand.

Officer Noguchi cleared his throat. "Chief, if we're going to shelter the survivors, then we better make the station secure" he suggested, looking out the window at the open driveway into the station compound.

The Chief's eyes widened. "Nakajima and Noguchi, get down there and close that gate NOW!" he barked. "You and you", he continued, pointing at two other patrolmen, "help them!" The four took off at a dead run as a murmur started to arise. "People" the Chief said, raising his voice above the din, "we need to get this station ready to take in survivors as well as to give us all places to rest. Report to your supervisors-they will have assignments within the next quarter hour. If you are from another station, stay here for now." He turned around and walked out of the cafeteria.

Miyuki had left the cafeteria when Kenny did and arrived in the squad room as Natsumi hung up the phone. She had a big smile on her face as she turned towards Miyuki. "Shouji is alright. It took me a few calls to track him down. He didn't have his cell phone turned on at first. He said the base is locked down tight and is very secure. If we need to and we can make it there, it would be an ideal sanctuary."

"Do you know we're under a quarantine?" Miyuki inquired.

"Inspector Tokuno came in and told me while I was talking to Shouji. He also said he had found some other pistols that could be distributed and needed to let the Chief know about it. I told him he was on his way to the cafeteria" Natsumi said.

"I did pass him on the way back here" Miyuki noted. "I told him the Chief was still talking to the people in the cafeteria."

"If Inspector Tokuno has any pistols, they're probably the P230s the detectives use" Natsumi mused out loud. "If that's the case I'd rather have that than a revolver."

"With your training, a P230 should be a piece of cake" a familiar voice said behind the two policewomen. They turned around to see Inspector Kinoshita standing there. She had a bandage on her forehead and her left wrist was wrapped but she looked well otherwise.

"Inspector!" Natsumi exclaimed with obvious joy. ""So you're up and around!"

"I've got a bit of a headache and my wrist is sprained but Nurse Okazaki cleared me to leave the infirmary." Kinoshita said. "I think she knew I wouldn't be able to just lay there for much longer."

"Now that's a fact!" Natsumi said in agreement. "So what happened to you? I had to go make a phone call before Ken... I mean, Officer Nakajima could finish his story."

"I got sideswiped by a speeding car while sitting at a stoplight and ended up hitting a light pole" the Inspector said. "Nakajima got me out of my car and brought me back on his motorcycle."

"How did you get sideswiped?" Natsumi asked. "It's too early for a drunk driver."

"I don't know" Kinoshita admitted. "I did get a fleeting glimpse of two people in the car. It looked like the one in the back was attacking the driver."

"I'll bet it was someone trying to get a loved one to the hospital thinking the doctors could help" Miyuki surmised. "They probably came back to... to... This is such a foreign situation that I can't even find the right words."

"I think you're right, Miyuki" replied the Inspector in a quiet voice. "I wonder how many people were lost trying to be of help to friends or family members."

A look of panic shot across Miyuki's face. "Daimaru! Sena! I hope they are OK."

"They are" Natsumi said. "They called here while I was trying to contact Shouji. They had barricaded the shop and I told them to try and make it here if they could. They said Honda took off, however-they think he was trying to get Megumi from school."

"I hope they can make it here safely" Miyuki said.

Kenny, Noguchi and the two other patrolmen made it to the front entrance of the station in just a few minutes. Kenny had made one quick detour, to the recreation room to grab a baseball bat. The four officers looked around and saw no activity on the street outside the station compound walls. Kenny pointed to Noguchi and one of the officers and said, "You two, start closing that gate." He pointed to the last officer. "Go get some more people as quickly as possible." He ran off.

Noguchi looked at Kenny and said, What are you going to do, Nakajima?" Kenny replied, "I'll stand guard. Those... _things_... can be deceptive. We almost were attacked while I was helping Inspector Kinoshita on my bike. You two get this one gate section out, then we can switch and I'll help wrestle the other section while you stand guard-OK?" He grinned.

"Sounds like a plan to me" Noguchi admitted, then turned to the task of moving the heavy gate. The other officer came running back with one other person-the desk sergeant, who stood there with a bemused grin. "What are you people doing?" he asked.

"The Chief told us to close the gate" Nakajima replied.

"I see" the sergeant said. He keyed the mic on his left lapel and said "Close the gate."

Two electric motors started humming as the gates began to move towards each other. Kenny, Noguchi and the other two officers stood there dumbfounded.

"All you had to do was call down and we'd have had them closed in 30 seconds" the sergeant chuckled.

Just then a green sports car screeched to a stop inches from the gate. "Open the gate!" a woman's voice cried out. Kenny started as he recognized the voice of his stepmother. "Quick! Open the gate! That's my mother!" he cried out.

The sergeant called back to the desk. "Open the gate. We need to let some survivors in." As a gap the size of Sena's Morgan formed and she pulled forward Daimaru pulled up right behind her on his motorcycle. When they both cleared the gate the sergeant called to have the gate closed again.

Kenny ran over to his parents. "Mom! Dad! I was so worried about the two of you. How are you? How did you know to come here?"

Daimaru pulled off his helmet. "Sena called here and talked with Natsumi. She said we should make it over here. What were you doing?"

Kenny replied "I was saving Inspector Kinoshita's life. She had been in an accident and a group of _them_ were gathering around her."

"Good work, son!" Daimaru beamed.

"Take your car and motorcycle around to the parking area in the back" the desk sergeant told the couple. He then turned to the officer who had summoned him. "You come with me. I'll get the remote for the gate. You'll need to stand gate guard duty for now. I'll get you a walkie-talkie in case you need help." The two of them headed towards the building.

Noguchi held out his hand and said "Kenny, you need to go take care of your parents. I'll stand watch here until the sergeant gets back." Turning to the other officer, he continued "and I'll need you... what's your name?" he asked.

"Shimura" the officer replied.

"I'll need you, Shimura, to stay by the front door to relay messages until someone gets here with either the remote switch or a radio" Noguchi ordered.

"Yes, I will" Shimura replied and left to take his post by the front door. Kenny handed the bat to Noguchi and headed for the building while Noguchi moved over to a position about 10 feet away from the gate. Kenny turned and called to Noguchi, "In case you hadn't heard, they seem to respond to sounds-their eyes are dead."

"Thanks for the tip" Noguchi called back "and keep it down!" He turned back to face the driveway.

Kenny made it up to the squad room to find Sena and Daimaru already there. They were chatting with Miyuki, Natsumi and Saori. The Chief and Inspectors Kinoshita and Tokuno were conferring at the Chief's desk. Other officers were on telephones. A TV was on in the background, but hardly anyone was paying attention to it.

Kenny walked up to his parents. Daimaru grabbed his hand and started pumping it, with a huge grin on his face. "Congratulations, Son! I knew you could do it!"

Puzzled, Kenny replied "Do what?"

"Natsumi told us everything." Daimaru roared with laughter as he threw his arm around his son's shoulder. The three at the desk looked up at him. Kinoshita smiled, the Chief had a gleam in his eye and Tokuno just shook his head. They turned back to their deliberations.

Kenny reddened a bit but stood his ground. "I've come to the realization I have been a fool and wasted so much time. I will never let that happen again."

Daimaru's face turned serious. "I understand, Son. You've faced death. That does tend to make things like a little embarrassment become insignificant. I only hope the two of you will have plenty of time to make up for the past."

Nurse Okazaki walked into the squad room. "Has anyone seen Aoi? She's not in the infirmary." The whole squad room stared at her. Inspector Tokuno looked up, surprised. "You mean you didn't release her?" he asked.

"She's not ready to go back to duty" Okazaki replied. Tokuno's eyes grew wide.

"What is it, Tokuno?" the Chief asked.

"I gave her the keys to my car. She said you had given her an important assignment." Tokuno dropped his head in his hand.

Natsumi glanced over to her desk. "She's taken her gun" she said almost in a whisper. "What is she doing?"


	10. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The way was blocked... blocked by _them_. They had no eyes, but they seem to home in like a beacon was shining brightly. The gun was empty, all eight rounds having been spent. This was not the way the day was supposed to go... the way the _plan_ was supposed to go.

Gendo Onodera was the son of a rising executive in a pharmaceutical conglomerate. As the father rose ever higher in the corporate structure, Onodera grew into a young man of privilege. He had the best of everything, went to the finest schools, had a bevy of girls swooning over him and all the trappings of what would appear to be a charmed life.

The only problem was that Onodera was jaded. He felt he had no excitement in his life as everything came easy to him. He longed to push the envelope, to find more exciting things to do. Sports did not excite him, neither did academics. Fast cars didn't do it, either. He had watched his father for many years-the man had an almost insatiable appetite for women. Onodera admired his father and tried to emulate him, but found the relationships he had with all the women who flocked around him were unsatisfying. There was not the thrill of the new, the challenge of the conquest-the women were too willing.

One night, Onodera found himself in his usual position, about to take advantage of another willing woman. However, he had misread this date, and she was definitely _not_ willing to go to bed with him. With an anger rising in him, he attacked the woman and forced himself on her, raping her. He finally experienced the excitement that he had been seeking. However, when his excitement subsided, fear took over. Was he afraid of being arrested, of being exposed as a sociopath that should be locked away forever? No, he was afraid he would embarrass his father. Onodera called him and tearfully confessed his transgression. The elder Onodera was furious-not for what his son had done to an innocent woman, but for exposing the executive to a possible loss of face. Onodera's father quietly paid off the woman to keep silent and told his son not to never do that again, but to never get caught at it.

Onodera was properly contrite in front of his father, but he knew how to play his old man for best effect. Inside, he was savoring the thrill of dominating a woman, forcing her to submit to him and showing her just what her place was. He contemplated ways to feed the beast that had been unchained in him. He tried S&M clubs, but the women there were too willing to submit and he couldn't do all that he wanted to do to them. The times he tried, he was thrown out of the clubs, once after getting beat up by a bouncer. He realized that the only way he would be able to slake his thirst was to rape unwilling women. He just had to find ones that did not know him. Thus, the Chuo rapist was born.

Over the next year or so, Onodera claimed 15 victims. To comply with his father's edict not to bring shame to the family, he was meticulous in his preparations and fastidious in his cleanup of the women he raped-the better to ensure no potential DNA evidence fall into the hands of the police. His obsessiveness stymied the investigators, who could find no pattern to analyze, much less any physical evidence to prove that one man had assaulted all those women.

After more than a year of investigations with no results, Inspector Kumanosuke, chief of the Tokyo MPD sex crimes unit, was desperate enough that he decided to call upon his secret weapon. He called into his office to make a proposal to the only investigator uniquely qualified to crack the Chuo rapist case. He asked Officer Aoi Futaba if he would be willing to act as a decoy to flush out the rapist. Aoi agreed to the dangerous task. Two months of study, followed by a two month period undercover creating an irresistible target for Onodera's lust, resulted in Aoi making his biggest collar ever.

At the trial, Onodera's flashy lawyer (paid for by his father) tried every trick in the book to get his client acquitted. Aoi stayed away from the proceedings as Inspector Kumanosuke and he wanted to maintain the effectiveness of Aoi's undercover work. However, the lawyer began to sway the three judge panel with an effective argument saying that Aoi was the predator-that she had lured his client into a relationship and then cried "rape" because he rejected her. The fact that she did not appear in court was driven home to great effectiveness as proof that she was now ashamed of her cowardly act.

Kumanosuke called Aoi into his office one day and told him "that sicko's lawyer is about to get him acquitted due to the fact that he's painting you as a jilted woman out for revenge. There is only one way the state will be able to win the case. You must go and testify."

"I know, Boss" Aoi replied. "I've seen my good name dragged through the mud in this case time and time again and I don't want to let him walk. You realize, however, that this will completely destroy my usefulness as an undercover officer."

"That's what hurts the most. Actually, what hurts the most will be losing you, Aoi" Kumanosuke said dejectedly. "It took me some time to adjust to your preference for living as a woman; but, dammit, you've been my best officer for a long time."

"Well, I could go as a man" Aoi volunteered. "I've been thinking of volunteering to do so since that lawyer adopted this new line of attack. That will definitely take the wind out of his sails."

Kumanosuke laughed. "It'd be pretty hard to keep up the lie that you were sleeping with him when you show you're a man. Do you really think that would throw the lawyer? He's one of the best in Tokyo."

"I'm not taking this lightly, and no disrespect is meant, Boss" Aoi replied. "But I'm sure enough of it to bet you on it."

Kumanosuke sat back in his chair and smiled, with his hand on his chin. "I'll take you up on it. Loser buys the winner a fifth of single-malt scotch. We'll use it to toast your retirement from the sex crimes unit."

Two days later, the bailiff called out "Officer Aoi Futaba, please come to the stand." Onodera turned around to see the policewoman who had attempted to ruin his life, to stare her in the eye as she walked to the witness stand and shake her up. His jaw dropped, however, as in walked a tall, trim young man in a police uniform. He had Aoi's face and his hair was in a ponytail, but he didn't look at all like the woman Onodera tried to get close enough to to make her his next victim.

Aoi's testimony, and the visible proof that the whole "jilted lover" story was just a ploy, was instrumental in Onodera being sentenced to the maximum prison time for his crimes. As he was led out of the court room, he yelled at Aoi "I'll get out of prison some day and then you're dead-you hear, you're dead!"

Three years later, Onodera got a new lawyer-a young associate in a law firm looking to move up quickly. They found what they believed was a technicality big enough to not only force a new trial but to possibly get the convicted rapist out of jail while awaiting a new trial. Through a friend in the court system who did a little "massaging" of the court dockets, Onodera's lawyer managed to get the hearing in front of a judge who was known to be soft on criminals and sympathetic to accusations of police misconduct or abuse.

For his part, Onodera played a masterful part, appearing humble and contrite in court, repudiating his outburst at sentencing and saying he only wanted to get this ordeal behind him and live a quiet life in the country. The judge, her heartstrings sufficiently tugged, granted the appeal as well as Onodera's release.

Onodera was escorted to the door of the courthouse and then released. After thanking his lawyer and begging off a group of reporters that had been covering the hearing, he headed home just long enough to change into some nondescript clothes he used for his victim stalking. He headed off to a seedy bar that he had learned was the best place to get the item he needed.

Walking slowly into the bar, he stopped long enough to get a beer and drink it down in two gulps. He then walked to the back of the room and through a door into a dark corridor. He came to a heavy steel door and rapped on a slide placed at eye level. It opened, he gave a password sotto voce and walked into a room lined with guns of all descriptions. The man who opened the door asked him "OK what are you looking for?"

"I'm going to get..." Onodera started. The man cut him off. "NEVER tell me what you are going to do with my merchandise!" he roared. "I don't care, I don't want to know and if you say one more word that is not in answer to my questions _I_ will gun you down myself!"

Onodera stepped back, shocked by the ferocity of the man's response. He put up his hands. "OK, I get it. I want a small pistol... preferably one the police use. I have..."

"Did I say anything about _that_?" then man said sternly. He turned and walked to a safe on the far wall. Spinning the dial, he quickly opened it, reached inside and took out a cloth covered item. He brought it over to a table and laid his parcel down, then unfolded the cloth. There sat a Sig Sauer P230-JP pistol-the exact model that inspectors in the sex crime unit carried.

"Perfect" was all that Onodera said.

"For you, 200,000 yen" the man stated flatly.

"Are you kidding me?" Onodera cried. The man started folding the cloth around the gun. "OK, OK, I can do it. What about bullets?"

The man pulled a pair of rubber gloves out of his pocket and slipped them on. He picked up the pistol and removed the magazine. There were eight 7.62mm hollow point rounds in the magazine. He slid it back in the magazine well and laid the gun back on the cloth. "Included" is all he said.

"And an extra clip?" Onodera asked. The man's nose wrinkled at "clip". "For you, 25,000 yen-loaded" he replied.

"Forget that-I'll only need one clip" Onodera bragged. He pulled out a wad of cash and started peeling off 10,000 yen notes. Laying them down on the table, he started to fold the cloth up. The man slammed his hand down on the cloth. "No!" was all he said.

Onodera picked up the gun and stuck it in his waistband, then adjusted his jacket to hide it. "Pleasure doing business with you" he said with a hint of haughtiness. The man mumbled "idiot" as he crossed to the door and let Onodera out.

Onodera made his way to a small, run-down hotel away from the main business district of Sumida ward. He got a cheap room and then spent the rest of that day wandering around Sumida looking for Aoi. He had heard from a fellow inmate that he was in the ward. That man had been arrested by Futaba for molesting women on a train. The guy told Onodera he was apparently supposed to be looking for a thief but was busting perverts.

Onodera finally spotted Aoi, but only saw a glimpse of him as he drove his patrol car down a street. By the time he had figured out it was Aoi, the car had turned down a side street and was out of sight. Onodera noted that Aoi had changed his hair color, however, and filed that away in his memory. He did spot a couple of places that would make good ambush spots and decided to work out a plan the next day.

Onodera woke up early the next day and took a chance that he'd spot Futaba at the train station. He waited there all morning but his target didn't show. He thought that it might mean that Futaba lived nearby but he wasn't sure. Around noon, he was hanging around the shops across the street from the train station when he saw Aoi walking back from lunch. Onodera hung back and followed Futaba back to Bokuto station. He browsed through nearby stores all afternoon while keeping an eye on the front entrance of the station.

As the afternoon started to wane, Futaba walked out of the front entrance of the station. Onodera, across the street in a department store, almost missed him but chose just that time to walk out the front door where he say his target. He followed him back the way they had come at lunchtime and saw that he went almost straight to the train station, just stopping to speak to the old couple that ran the store she had come out of at noon. They had walked past two different ambush sites that Onodera had found the day before.

The plan finally came together. Onodera would lure Futaba into a secluded alleyway after his next shift and kill him there. He wouldn't be missed until the next day, giving Onodera plenty of time to get far away from Tokyo. He had already arranged for an alibi to be manufactured for him, making it seem that he had traveled to Kyoto as soon as he was released from prison.

Satisfied with his plans, Onodera decided to celebrate his good fortune. He went back to the bar that he had gotten the gun from to have a few drinks. He walked into the dive and sat down at the bar. The bartender had been straightening up the bottles of liquor behind the bar. He turned around and immediately recognized Onodera. He leaned over the bar and hoarsely whispered "You can't be in here. You have to leave."

"What do you mean I have to leave?" Onodera retorted. "Is my money no good here? Am I not good enough for this dive? I've been welcome in the best restaurants and clubs in Tokyo...

"No, that's not it!" the bartender hissed. "The police watch this place all the time. They'll be suspicious about you coming in here twice in three days. You're not a regular. And then there's HIM" he continued, nodding towards the rear hallway.

"What does he have to do with it?" Onodera complained. "I'm just here to have a few drinks."

"He's very strict in his dealings with his clients" the bartender cautioned. "He doesn't deal with regulars and he doesn't allow his clients to become regulars. He feels it's safer for him that way. By the way, you aren't..."

"No, it's safely secured away." Onodera replied. "Look, I don't want to "party", I don't want to make trouble, I just want to sit here quietly, have a few drinks and then go home."

An intercom buzzed and the bartender picked up a handset. He listened for about 20 seconds and then said "I will" and hung up. Turning to Onodera, he said "You may stay here for now. Your immediate departure would be even more suspicious. Don't do anything stupid or you won't get to finish your personal business.'

Onodera put his hands up in front of him and said "Alright, alright. That's all I wanted to do anyway." He placed his order and the bartender brought him his drink. He sat there quietly, sipped the liquor and contemplated his good fortune. He had a smug grin on his face as he visualized the lifeless body of the man who had humiliated him laying at his feet. He relished the thought of being rid of the embarrassment and the accuser in less than twenty-four hours.

He looked down at his watch and noticed it was almost 10:00 PM. Onodera was determined to shadow his target on his last day and decided to call it a night. He stood up, tossed double the price of his drinks on the bar and said "keep the change" to the bartender. As he walked out, Onodera stumbled just a bit and chuckled. He had forgotten that it had been three years since he last drank so much.

Onodera went back to his room, checked to make sure his gun was still well-hidden and then crawled into bed. With the added inducement of the alcohol, he slept more soundly then he had in years. In fact, he slept so soundly he missed his alarm clock going off. By the time he woke up, it was almost mid morning. He realized he wouldn't be able to shadow Futaba all day. He decided to wait near the train station and pick up his trail at lunch again.

He ate a simple breakfast at the train station sitting at the counter and people watching as he ate. He heard a noise and looked over to see a policewoman running down the street calling out to pedestrians to watch out for her. She didn't seem to be pursuing anyone-in fact, if anything he'd swear that she was late! He couldn't help but laugh at the comic scene.

Finishing his meal, Onodera realized that if he hung around the same block people would begin to notice him. He decide to take a long leisurely walk around the ward, timing his return to the station for noon. As he wandered around, he played the part of a tourist interested in everything he sees.

Walking down one street away from the station, Onodera saw a patrol car drive by. He checked it out and spotted Futaba and another policewoman in the car. He watched it go down about three blocks and turn down a side street. Turning around to head in the opposite direction, he realized that he would have to change his plans. He figured it would be much easier to just start shadowing him after he left the police station that afternoon. Onodera realized that he was starting to obsess on his victim too much.

Deep in thought, Onodera didn't notice the black sedan sitting at a traffic light. He did notice the sound of a racing engine bearing down towards him and as he looked up he saw a car careening down the street. It looked as if the driver was fighting with a passenger in the rear seat. Onodera looked again and realized the passenger was really attacking the driver. Just as that realization registered in his mind, the car hit a glancing blow on the black car at the light, causing the car to lurch forward and to the left into a light pole.

The out of control car seemed to aim right for Onodera and he froze where he was, not believing his luck had changed in an instant from good to bad. At the last second, the car glanced off a Japan Post box between him and the street then traveled another two hundred meters before crashing into a storefront. It then burst into flames.

Onodera panicked. The only thing worse than dying before getting to murder Futaba was to get tangled up in a car crash investigation and be found carrying an illegal pistol. He looked around, noticed that there were very few people on the street and then discovered he was standing in front of an alleyway between two buildings. He turned and walked as slowly as he could down the alley until he felt that he would not be noticed and then broke into a run. He didn't stop until he got to the next street.

As he walked out of the alley, he heard the echos of two sharp reports from a block or two away. He didn't quite recognize the sound but suspected it might be gunshots. He almost turned the other way but decided to see if he could survey the scene from a distance to see what had happened.

Onodera walked down the sidewalk at a measured pace, trying not to seem too anxious. After he had walked about 20 meters, he heard two more reports; then before he made it another 30 meters three more reports echoed from the same direction, followed by the sound of a car engine starting up and zooming away. He continued down the street but slowed down even more. He noticed a few people beginning to walk around but the seemed drunk as they lurched and staggered in what seemed to be an aimless manner.

Turning the corner, Onodera cam upon a bizarre sight two blocks away. It looked like there were five dead bodies just lying there on the street. He panicked, thinking that the last thing he'd want to have happen is for him to be found at the scene of a mass shooting with an illegal gun.

Looking around, he saw what appeared to be an abandoned shop. The door was open, the lights were on but no one seemed to be inside. He ducked inside the store, crossed to the back and tried the door to the back room. It was unlocked so he cautiously went in.

Onodera called out, "Hello! Is anyone there? I'd like to make a purchase" but there was only an echo of his voice in the room. He turned around, crossed back to the front door and closed and locked it before rapidly walking to the safety of the shop's storeroom.

He sat down at the desk and placed his hands on the desktop. He realized his arms were quivering. He picked his hands up off the desk and they began to shake. He leaned back and covered his face with his hands and breathed heavily as he tried to calm down. Onodera sat there for what seemed like an hour, then got back up and went out front. He unlocked the door and opened it a crack to peek out at what he was sure would be a street swarming with police and media.

To his surprise, the only thing he saw was the exact same scene he saw an hour earlier-the five bodies lying where they fell. Puzzled and intrigued, he left the shop and walked across the street then down to the first set of bodies. He saw that one was an older woman that looked like she had been attacked by a vicious dog. The other was a policewoman. Looking at her closer, Onodera realized it was Futaba's partner-the one he had seen in the passenger seat earlier. She had been shot twice-once in the chest, once in the head.

Onodera glanced over to the other three bodies. They, too, all looked as if the had been mauled by a wild beast. As he looked closer he realized that the teeth marks were human. He looked up to see more seemingly drunk people filling the sidewalk. He counted eight to ten people, all headed his way. As they drew closer, Onodera could see their eyes were pretty much gone, as were various chunks of flesh from all over their bodies. They all had bloody mouths and one still had a piece of another person's flesh hanging from her mouth. Onodera let out an involuntary scream.

All of the people suddenly "perked up" as their heads turned to look at Onodera. Well, "look" wasn't the best word to describe the vacant stares facing him. There was no denying that they were all bearing down on him and they had seemed to pick up speed. Onodera panicked.

Onodera looked around him and saw only one way out-a shop with one of those entryways that had two display windows on either side of the entrance, making a glass hallway to the front door. He ran for it, praying to whatever gods he could think of that the shop door was unlocked. It wasn't.

Turning, he swept the area with his eyes. In addition to the ten people closest to him, another four had appeared and were homing in on the commotion made by the crowd. Onodera, his back to the door, slid down it to a crouching position and pulled his gun. He pulled the trigger and shot the nearest person... no, it was now a _thing_, in the chest. It didn't even flinch. He then remembered how the cop was shot in the head, so he adjusted his aim and shot it in the center of the face. It dropped like a felled tree. Onodera shot again, but the reports of the three shots had his ears ringing due to the sound bouncing off the hard glass surfaces and it made it hard for him to aim. He took a few more of the things out with some more lucky shots but all too quickly the slide of his pistol locked back as he expended the last round.

About eight of them were still attempting to get at Onodera but were struggling to get over the dead bodies lying in front of them. By now, Onodera had his face covered with his arms as he awaited his fate when he heard a screech of a car stopping. He heard the car door open and a few seconds later, shots began ringing out. One by one, the bodies dropped away as the unseen gunman dispatched the horde of beings trying to get at Onodera. There was a pause until he heard the slide of his rescuer's gun slam home again, and a few more shots felled the last of the things.

Onodera lowered his arms and looked out to see his savior. There stood a tall policewoman pointing a silver gun in his direction. She was breathing heavily and her makeup was all runny and smudged. There were blood smears on her uniform. She was both the most beautiful and the most frightening sight that Onodera could imagine.

"Aoi" was all he said.

_(Please join in the discussion of Bokuto Precinct of the DEAD in the Forums-Anime/Manga-You're Under Arrest! section.)_


	11. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Aoi lay on a bed in the infirmary. The privacy curtain was drawn around it, so she could not see what was going on around her-but she could hear. From the _sotto voce_ of Nurse Okazaki on the phone to the adrenalin-laced chatter of Nakajima when he helped Inspector Kinoshita to a nearby bed to Miyuki's unbridled happiness even while scolding Nakajima, Aoi heard it all. She even noted a sense of relief in the Chief's voice when the nurse told him the Inspector was alright. There was so much good fortune and happiness all around Aoi, but she felt none of it.

That terrible image flashed back in Aoi's memory-the look of fear and pleading in Yoriko's eyes. Eyes that burned out and became white orbs as Yoriko's soul left the body and it turned into a killing machine, a contagion delivery device. Aoi buried her face in her pillow and quietly sobbed once again. She didn't begrudge her friends' good fortune or joy; she just was incapable of sharing it. Her lot was a much darker and heavier burden.

Aoi knew what she had done was right. She had to protect herself. She also felt that Yoriko, in those last terrifying moments, certainly had to be pleading with Aoi to end her suffering. If only she had known in that moment what was going to happen in the next instant, she would have given her friend the relief while she still could recognize the gesture.

Aoi sat bolt upright in bed as it hit her-she was regretting shooting Yoriko while she was still Yoriko! Was this the future they all faced? Would they have to make choices like this day after day? She started gasping for air as if she had been hit in the stomach by a prizefighter. Could she even bear to live in a world like this?

Her shoulder slumped and her head bowed in shame and remorse, Aoi listened to the quiet chatter coming from the direction of Inspector Kinoshita's bed. As she listened to the voices, an idea began to form. She must take care of Yoriko. Just as Nakajima cared for Miyuki and the Chief seemed to care for the Inspector, Aoi must take care of Yoriko-or what represented Yoriko in this world. She knew what to do.

She heard the Chief say goodbye to the Inspector and Nurse Okazaki, then leave the infirmary. The nurse completed work on a paper on her desk, then stood up, went to a cabinet and began to take inventory. Aoi picked up her shoes and crept out of the infirmary, quietly closing the door behind her. She then slipped on her shoes, straightened her skirt and started walking towards the squad room. She was thinking of how to get Yoriko's body back to the station. The patrol car was inadequate to the task. She needed a bigger car.

Walking down the hallway, Aoi spotted the Criminal Investigations Division sign over their office. She realized her answer was in there. She turned into the branch hallway and walked up to Inspector Tokuno's door, then knocked. She heard that gruff voice say "Come in."

Aoi poked her head through the doorway and said "Inspector Tokuno, I'm hoping you will be able to help me. The Chief has asked me to make a run to the supermarket to see what food I may be able to get. He's afraid we'll not have an adequate supply for much longer.?

"Are you sure you're up to the task, Officer Futaba?" Tokuno asked.

"Well, Nurse Okazaki released me and the Chief felt I should get right back to work to take my mind off this morning" Aoi replied. She hated lying to the Inspector, but she was desperate to get a car that would let her succeed in her quest.

"Let me just verify this with the Chief" Tokuno said, reaching for his phone.

"I think the Chief is in the cafeteria listening to Nakajima explain what happened to him today" Aoi countered.

"Oh, yes, you're right" Tokuno agreed as he put the receiver back on the hook. "But we haven't assigned sidearms to the officers who will be working outside of the compound yet."

"That's no problem, Inspector. I have my own pistol, remember?" Aoi said, worrying that it was taking too long.

"Oh, yes, I remember now." Tokuno reached into his jacket pocket and took out a keyring. He tossed it to Aoi, who caught it expertly. "Just be careful out there."

"Don't worry, Inspector" Aoi said, smiling. "I'm probably one of the most aware about what's happening out in the city-other than Nakajima. Thank you so much." She closed the door, walked back to the main hallway, leaned back against the wall and let out a long sigh. Just one mote hurdle to go.

Arriving at the squad room, Aoi saw her gun, holster and magazine carrier all sitting on Natsumi's desk in a deserted room. She quickly went over to the desk, took one magazine out of the holder and inserted it in her pistol and cycled the slide. She let the hammer down with the decocker and then slid the gun in the holster. She repositioned the holster and the magazine pouch on her belt and turned to leave.

Exiting the squad room, she made her way down a back stairs to the parking area and found Inspector Tokuno's car. Getting in she quickly adjusted the seat and mirrors and started the engine. She drove discreetly around to the front entrance to the station compound and entered the street. She disappeared down the street just as Nakajima and the others reached the gate to close it.

Aoi made sure all the doors in the car were locked, even though she was sure they would not be able to remember how to open a car door. It just made her feel safer. She drove down streets that were beginning to be littered with bodies but were also becoming filled with the undead, walking around looking for-what?

Aoi drove past Inspector Kinoshita's wrecked car and saw the building the other car had hit still smoldering. Both people in the car lay by it, burnt beyond recognition. Aoi looked away quickly and concentrated on getting to her destination.

Turning onto the street when Yoriko was, Aoi saw that her body still lay in the same location as when she fell. The four other bodies were there, too. What concerned Aoi, though, was the ten or more walking dead that seemed to be congregating around a shop entrance. She wasn't sure if she had enough ammunition to take on all of them.

Just then, shots rang out for the shop entrance. It didn't sound like when she fired her weapon before-it sounded more like the .32 caliber pistols the CID detectives carried. Was this one of Tokuno's men?

As she pulled up, the other gun fell silent. Aoi jumped out of the car, pulled her pistol and took aim at a ragged line of five of them. Firing at a measure pace, she placed expertly aimed shots in each of the five, right where the skull met the spine. Five of them dropped like a row of corn. However, the remaining three now turned towards the new sounds.

Aoi snapped two more shots off, hitting the two outside targets in the right and left temples. The slide locked back on her pistol, so she reached up and worked the magazine release with her left hand, dropping the magazine on the ground. Reaching back with her left hand, she grabbed her remaining magazine and slapped it into the well, then cycled the slide.

By this time, the last thing standing was just an arm length and a half away. Aoi swung the pistol up and aimed point blank. She pulled the trigger and was greeted with a new spray of blood on her face and uniform as the final one fell to the ground. She stood there panting, not even seeing the person sitting on the ground in front of her until a strangely familiar voice called out "Aoi!" She looked down to see Gendo Onodera sitting there with an empty P230 JP in his hand.

"Onodera?" she said, startled, then angrily "What are you doing here-and with a gun?"

"Oh, my God, I thought I was dead" Onodera wailed, tears suddenly flowing down his cheeks. "I can't believe it was you who saved me!"

"That's enough. Toss that gun over here and come out" Aoi ordered gruffly.

Onodera tossed the gun which clattered near Aoi's feet. He got up with his hands up, even though Aoi hadn't told him to do so. Carefully stepping over and around the bodies, he came out and stood in front of his former target, weeping with joy that she had saved him from a hideous fate.

Aoi said "Stop crying and put down your hands. I need you to help me with something."

"What?" Onodera replied. "What are you talking about?"

"I didn't come here for you, I came for my partner" Aoi insisted, pointing towards Yoriko's body. "I need you to help me get her in the car."

"Why do you want to do that? She's..." Onodera started

"My partner" Aoi finished. "Get moving."

Onodera crossed over to the lifeless form as Aoi, looking around to see if any more of them were in range, went to the car and opened the back door. She then decocked and holstered her gun, took hold of Yoriko's arms and nodded towards her feet. "Come on. Help me."

Onodera picked up the body by the ankles and the two of them managed to wrestle the dead policewoman into the car. Aoi said, "Get in, Onodera" and motioned to the passenger side. He got in the front seat and closed the door.

Aoi walked over to the pistol, picked it up and returned to the car. "We can use all the weapons we can get" she said as she got in.

"I know where we can get a lot of guns-all types of guns" Onodera said, shaking all over and feeling nauseous, especially sitting so close to a dead body.

"Show me where" Aoi commanded.

They drove to the seedy dive where Onodera had picked up his pistol. Pulling up in front of the building, they saw that the windows were broken out and the door was ripped off the hinges. Some bodies could be seen inside.

Aoi pulled her gin and said, "You lead the way. I'll cover us."

Making their way through the ruined interior of the bar, they came up to the door to the hidden arms dealer. It was ajar. Inside were about three more bodies. Aoi and Onodera looked around. While it was obvious people had grabbed guns from the wall, there were many guns still lining the room.

Spotting a rack of shotguns, Aoi said to Onodera "Grab as many of them as you can carry. We'll put them in the trunk." Onodera was able to carry five of the shotguns, all with short barrels and pistol grips. Aoi grabbed a sixth and they went out to the car, where she opened the trunk and they deposited the guns. Aoi closed the trunk again and motioned for Onodera to go back in.

"Isn't that enough?" Onodera asked.

"We need ammunition, too." Aoi said flatly.

"Why aren't you helping?" He replied.

"I am. I'm keeping you from getting bit" Aoi retorted.

They worked for about ten minutes, loading rifles and boxes of ammunition into the sedan. About the fifth or sixth time inside the room, Aoi pulled open a drawer and let out a low whistle. Onodera came over and saw a group of different pistols lying there, all with extended barrels with threaded ends. "What's so good about those?" he asked.

"In case you haven't noticed, _they_ respond to sounds" Aoi explained. She turned around and started rummaging through a locker. "The best way to get rid of them without attracting their attention is to be very quiet. That's what I'm looking for!" she exclaimed as she pulled a cardboard box out of the locker and placed it on the counter. She picked a gun out of the drawer, a Sig Sauer P239, and laid it on the counter, then rummaged through the carton until she pulled out a slim box. She took out the box, opened it and revealed a silencer that she expertly screwed on the front of the pistol. Looking deeper into the drawer, Aoi found a loaded magazine for the new pistol and inserted it the gun. Turning to Onodera, she said "Take this box of silencers and I'll grab the guns. I think we'll just need one more trip after this."

Walking out onto the street, Onodera almost ran right into one of them. He started to yell, then remembered what Aoi has said about sound. He stepped back just in time to hear Aoi whisper "Move to your left." He took a step to his left, whereupon Aoi fired the silenced pistol right by his ear, hitting the thing in the side of the head. Onodera barely heard a "pop". He looked around. Another thing was walking away from them a meter or two away but did not turn around. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

They went back into the room one last time, picked up the last few items needed and threw them in the back of the car as they got in the front. Just as they closed the door, the radio crackled to life. "Bokuto dispatch to Futaba. Bokuto dispatch to Futaba. Aoi, answer, please!" It was Miyuki.

Aoi picked up the mic and keyed it. " Futaba here."

"Aoi, where are you? We need you back here now! The Chief has locked down the station and we can't guarantee your safety at all out there!" Miyuki pleaded.

"I'm heading back now, Miyuki" Aoi replied. "I've got a couple of surprises for everyone." She started the engine and placed the car in gear, then pulled out.

As they drove back to the station, Onodera was unusually quiet. He finally spoke up and asked "What is going to happen to me?"

"I really do not know" Aoi replied. "By all rights, we should lock you up. You bought an illegal gun with the intent to murder me. I could have very easily shot you back there and not blinked an eye. However, you did help recover Yoriko and led me to that weapons cache, so perhaps this whole mess has changed you somehow. Anyway, the decision will be up to the Chief."

They turned onto the street in front of the station and saw a group of them walking near the entrance. Aoi keyed the mic and said "We're almost there, but so are some of them."

Miyuki replied "Don't worry about them. We'll take care of them."

Aoi saw the gates begin to open and saw the walkers turn to find the noise. She quickly turned into the driveway and through the gate. The gates drew to a close but not before one of them got through. Aoi stopped the car, opened the door, aimed her new gun and fired. The officer at the gate, who was about to club the thing with a baseball bat, stopped and stared in disbelief as the walker dropped in front of him before turning to look at Aoi. She held up the silenced P239, waved and sat back in to car to drive it around to the back.

Pulling up to the back door, Aoi was met by a group of officers. Miyuki, Natsumi, Inspectors Tokuno and Kinoshita and the Chief all were standing there. As soon as Aoi opened the door and stood up, the Chief started yelling, "Whatever possessed you to go out there on your own and do... do... whatever it was you did?"

"Chief, I know I was wrong, but I couldn't let Yoriko..." Aoi began.

"I'm sorry to say it, but she's dead!" the Chief retorted. "That's no reason to put yourself in harm's way just to..."

"I also rescued a civilian" Aoi replied.

The Chief stopped, still visibly angry. "That's all well and good, but still..."

"And he led me to something very valuable that we can use" Aoi continued. She walked around to the trunk and opened it. The group was stunned to see the arsenal piled in the car's trunk. Tokuno smiled.

"So I see you got into Happy Hiroshi's place, Aoi" Tokuno said. "I guess he's either fled or one of them now."

"Are those silencers in that box?" Natsumi asked. "Wow, how did you get your hands on these?"

Aoi smiled. "It's all thinks to my mystery guest." She walked around to the passenger's side, opened the door and Onodera stepped out of the car.

"Gendo Onodera! What the hell are you doing here?" the Chief asked.

"Officer Futaba saved me from about eight of those _things_" Onodera replied.

"But how did you know about Happy Hiroshi's?" Tokuno asked.

Onodera dropped his head. "I was planning to kill Officer Futaba and had obtained an illegal gun from him. When she saved me, she went back to retrieve the gun and said you could use all the weapons you could get. I figured we might have a chance. I guess I was right."

"Tell me why I shouldn't just shove you outside the front gate right now, Onodera" the Chief growled.

Onodera's head came up. "It's plain to see nothing is the same as it was. Money, power, position-I don't think any of that matters any more. I'm just a man who was saved by another person. I want to help us to be safe. I want to be safe."

"Well, until we can figure out what to do with you, you're going in a holding cell" the Chief declared. Turning to Miyuki and Natsumi, he said, "Take our 'guest' to his room, then get some help down here to unload the car." They took Onodera by the arm and walked him into the building.

The Chief turned to Aoi. "Officer Futaba" he began gruffly, "I am disappointed in your actions. You violated I don't know how many regulations. You left a medical facility you were admitted to against medical advice, you lied to a superior officer, you misappropriated police property and you hazarded not only your own life but potentially the lives of your fellow officers at a time when we can not afford to lose any more people." Aoi was visibly upset.

He continued, "And for what? To assuage your guilt feelings? To repay a debt? To... to..." He let out a sigh, then went on, much more softly and kindly. "To show your respect and love for a colleague, a partner and a friend; in the finest tradition of the Metropolitan Police Department. You worried us, Aoi. We didn't know where you had gone or what you were doing. Please don't do it again."

Aoi looked up with tears in her eyes. "I won't Chief. I promise."

Nakajima and three other officers arrived at the car just then. The Chief turned to Nakajima and said, "Ken, get a blanket to wrap Yoriko's body in. We'll remove it first, then unload the rest of the car." He walked over to the car, looked down at the still form for about a minute then turned and walked back into the building. Aoi, Tokuno and Kinoshita followed. Kenny and the others got to work.

Arriving at the squad room, the Chief went into his office, closed the door and drew the blinds. The rest of the officers went over by Aoi's desk, where she sat down and just stared at her dark computer screen.

"So what did you get out of Happy Hiroshi's?" Tokuno asked.

Aoi stared at the ceiling. "Six tactical shotguns, six or seven AR-15 type rifles, three HK submachine guns, a FN P90, about seven or eight pistols with threaded barrels and a case of assorted silencers. Some will work with the pistols since they're all 9mm and I think one or two will work with the sniper rifles. Oh, yes-there were a couple of sniper rifles, too. We also got all the 9mm, 12 gauge, .32 caliber and 5.56mm ammunition we could carry. "

"I wonder what happened to Hiroshi" Tokuno mused.

"I don't know" Aoi replied, "but there were three of _them_ dead in the room and a number of guns were missing. In addition, the bar out front looked like the ending of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid".

Tokuno laughed. "I wouldn't take you for an American Western movie fan."

Aoi laughed. "It was one of my Dad's favorite movies. We watched it so often. "Besides, Redford and Newman were so dreamy..."

Miyuki and Natsumi walked into the squad room. "We've got Onodera safely secured in a holding cell" Natsumi reported.

"Did you check him closely for weapons?" Aoi asked. "I don't quite buy his change of heart."

"Oh yeah!" Natsumi proclaimed with an evil grin. "I made sure he was squeaky clean!" She sat down at her desk and noticed the message light flashing on her phone. She picked up the handset, dialed the voicemail number and listened for a minute or two, then hung up with a huge grin on her face. "That was Shouji... I mean Lieutenant Toukairin. He's been tasked with bringing us a load of supplies from his base. He doesn't know when he'll be here, but he thinks it will be before the end of the day!"

Kinoshita looked over at Natsumi and smiled. "I wonder how he pulled that off?" she mused.

"I don't know and I don't care!" Natsumi replied, beaming. "I'm just happy he'll be here."

The Inspector thought for a few seconds. "Inspector Tokuno" she began, "We need to talk with the Chief." The two of them went over to the Chief's office and Tokuno knocked on the door. "Chief, it's Kinoshita and Tokuno. Could we come in?"

"Yes, come in" came from behind the door.

The two entered the Chief's office and closed the door. The Chief was sitting at his desk, looking haggard.

Kinoshita started. "Kachou, I know it's been a stressful and confusing morning. We're all feeling the strain. What we need to do now is to step back for a moment, evaluate the situation and come up with a plan."

The Chief looked up at the two. "Of course, you're right Karouko. We've been lucky so far to have only lost Nikaido. We need to get ahead of the situation as best we can."

The two inspectors pulled chairs up to the desk and sat down. Tokuno said "Aoi's recovering that stash of weapons from Happy Hiroshi's was a stroke of good fortune. We've got more than enough firepower now and the silencers will be a real asset."

"What I'm worried about is how long can we hold out here" the Chief countered. "I don't know how much food we have. I'm also worried about how much longer the electricity and water supply will be working. While I'm sure the government is protecting the power plants and reservoirs that doesn't mean the substations and pumping stations will continue to function."

Kinoshita nodded. "I concur, Kachou. What we need to do is make plans for the immediate future and then start working on where we can go as well as how to get there. We need to set up a duty roster, also. We've got a lot of people sitting around idle right now. That's how discipline and good order break down."

The Chief picked up his phone. "Good idea, Karouko. I'll get Kobayakawa working one compiling a roster right now." He dialed a number and said "Kobayakawa, could you compile a roster of all officers present at this time, no matter what precinct they are assigned to? We need to know just who is here." He listened for a bit and said "That would be good to know, too. I'm glad you though of it. Could you get it done as quickly as possible?" He listened again, then said "Yes, have Tsujimoto, Futaba and Saga assist you. Get that to us as soon as possible. Thank you." He hung up the phone.

"What did Miyuki suggest?" Kinoshita asked.

"She said she'd make sure to get a list of any civilians who have taken shelter here, too" the Chief replied. "She said she'll find out if any of them have any skills we can utilize."

"That's an excellent idea" Tokuno observed. "I guess we'll wait for the roster to make further plans. I'll go have one of my men inventory the weapons and ammunition formally."

"I'll go survey where people will be able to sleep tonight" Kinoshita offered.

"Good. I'll check on the supplies in the cafeteria" the Chief said. "We may have to restrict the portions soon. Tsujimoto will NOT be happy." The three of them laughed.

"It's good to see we can keep a sense of humor even in this situation" Kinoshita said. The three walked out of the office and went to their tasks.

Outside the station, Kenny had gone down to the front gate. He was talking to Shiisuke Neganebashi, who was on guard duty, when they heard a car speeding down the somewhat deserted street. Kenny looked up the road and spotted Honda's car headed towards the station.

"Open the gate!" Kenny called out as he watched the car approaching.. The motor hummed as the gate began to roll back. Kenny turned to get a baseball bat to guard the opening. He heard the screeching of tires and looked up to see Honda's car swerve to avoid hitting one of the walkers. Honda lost control and the car turned on its side, coming to rest against a light pole in a shower of sparks. A newspaper stand clattered as it was propelled against the side of a building. Kenny saw about twenty walkers turn their heads and then begin to move towards the car that was resting on its side.

"Close the gate!" Kenny yelled as he dropped the bat and ran back to the building. Running inside, he almost collided into Natsumi. "Tsujimoto" he gasped, "Honda's crashed his car just outside the gate. We need to go rescue him!"


	12. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Natsumi stood there wide eyed for about two seconds, then set her jaw, turned and started running to the stairs. "Let's GO, Kenny!" she yelled back ay Nakajima as she turned to sprint up the stairs. Hitting the second floor landing, Natsumi almost ran into Saori. Stopping for just a second, she snapped, "Saori, follow me! We have an emergency!" then she took off down the hallway. Saori fell in line behind Natsumi and the rapidly catching up Nakajima.

Flying past the squad room, Natsumi spied Miyuki sitting at her desk with Aoi standing next to her. "Aoi, Miyuki!" she called, "Honda's in trouble!"

"Oh, no!" Miyuki replied as she jumped up. The two policewomen followed the group down the hallway.

"Where's the guns, Aoi?" Natsumi yelled over her shoulder.

"Three doors down on the left" Aoi called back.

Arriving at the room where the guns had been taken, Natsumi burst in. Nobuyuki Sugihara and Yasutoshi Kirishima, two detectives from the CID, looked up from where they had been cataloging the weapons recovered by Aoi. "What in the world is going on, Tsujimoto?" asked Sugihara.

"We have civilians in an overturned car outside the gate that need to be rescued" Natsumi began, hardly winded by the sprint from the first floor. "We need..." She stopped and counted in her head quickly, "five guns with silencers right now!"

"I have my gun already, Natsumi" Aoi reminded her.

"OK, we need four guns. Three of the HKs and a pistol that can take a silencer" Natsumi continued. "We can also use the help of you two."

"What are we going to do?" Kirishima asked.

"I want three of us to cover the group and the other three to do the actual rescue" Natsumi replied. There's at least two people in the car and we don't know their conditions right now."

"Tsujimoto, I think we should also take a fire extinguisher, just in case" Kenny interjected.

Natsumi looked at Kenny. "Great idea, Kenny! Go get a CO2 extinguisher now!" Kenny ran out of the room.

"We only have silencers for two of the HKs, Tsujimoto" Sugihara replied. "We do have a silencer for the P90, but we haven't been able to figure out how to load it. I think Aoi forgot the magazines. There's also a HK USP that is threaded for a silencer. Are you all qualified for weapons?"

"That doesn't matter now" Natsumi snapped back. "Time is running out!" She spied a Steyr Scout Tactical Elite sniper rifle on another table. "Miyuki, do you think you could work that?"

Miyuki went over to the gun. She hefted it, put it up to her shoulder and looked through the scope. "I could do it, but you know what I think of guns" she said.

"Miyuki, it's for Honda, and you'd only be shooting _them_" Natsumi replied. "Grab it and let's go."

"Who's authorizing this? I can't let you just take these guns" Sugihara challenged.

"I am" came a voice from the doorway. Natsumi turned to see Inspector Tokuno standing just inside. "We've got civilians in trouble. I'll lock up here. Move out!" Just then Kenny came back with a fire extinguisher.

Natsumi started handing out guns. "Miyuki has the rifle. Kenny, take the USP. Sugihara take one of the MP5s. I'll take the other one."

Saori had moved over to the P90 and was picking it up. Natsumi said, "Saori, leave that here..."

Saori picked the gun up. "Let me take care of this. I'll just be thirty seconds."

Saori popped the clear plastic magazine off the top of the receiver with one hand as she laid the gun back down. She flipped over the magazine, then reached for a box of cartridges. Dumping it out, she scooped up a handful and began popping them in the feed slot rapidly.

Natsumi stared at the sight. "Saori?" was all she could say.

Saori kept feeding cartridges into the P90's magazine. In about twenty seconds, the pile of cartridges was gone. "Twenty-five rounds will have to do for now" she said, more to herself than to anyone else. She then slipped the magazine back into position,and slapped it down with a 'click' of the locking lugs. She looked around, frowning. "Where's the suppressor?"

"The what?" Sugihara asked with a puzzled look on his face.

Saori let out a quick sigh. "The silencer."

Sugihara reached over and grabbed a box marked "For FNH P90 Only" and handed it to Saori. Saori flipped open the end of the box, shook the black tube out until she could grab hold of it and then seated it on the end of the stubby barrel with a quarter turn. She checked the safety, then pulled the charging handle back and let it fly home. Thirty seconds had elapsed.

Wide eyed but smiling, Natsumi exclaimed "You go, girl!" as she moved to the door. "Follow me, everyone!" she commanded. Kirishima shouldered the extinguisher and the seven moved out.

As they walked down the hallway, Natsumi barked out orders. "I'll take point. Kenny and Aoi, you follow me. Keep your pistols out and be ready, but you'll be doing the actual rescue. Saori and Sugihara, you'll take both flanks and protect Kirishima. Kirishima, you'll assist with the rescue if we don't need the extinguisher. Miyuki, you'll overwatch..." Natsumi fell silent.

"I'll need a ladder to get up on the wall. I can work from there" Miyuki postulated.

"We don't have time to get a ladder" Natsumi replied.

Looking to see what the commotion was about, Daimaru poked his head out of the office where Sena and he were resting. "You need a ladder? I think there's one in here."

"Daimaru, I could kiss you!" Natsumi exclaimed. "Grab it and go with Miyuki. We're trying to save Honda and Megumi."

"Right away!" Daimaru replied. He went back into the office and reappeared with a stepladder, then took off following Miyuki.

Continuing down the stairs, Natsumi picked up where she left off. "Rules of engagement. First, NO automatic fire. Single rounds only. We have a limited supply of ammunition. Therefore, aim for the head. That's the surest way to take them out. Only fire when you're life is in danger but don't let them swarm you. And keep as quiet as possible. Sound attracts these... these... _things_."

They arrived at the gate. Natsumi held her left hand up as she clutched the grip of the MP5 with her right hand. She looked over at where Miyuki was settling into place in her overwatch position. Miyuki looked through the scope, then looked over to Natsumi and nodded. Natsumi dropped her left hand and the gate began to open. Once there was enough room, the six of them moved out. They fanned out into a triangle once past the gate. As they stepped out into the street, the rumble of the gate closing behind them sent shivers down everyone's spines. They headed for the car that lay on its right side.

Natsumi flashed back to the paintball battles they had had many times. It was all in fun, but it convinced her that they could pull this rescue off-if there was anyone left to rescue. She also saw a mental picture of an exercise she had participated in while going through her Ranger training. She couldn't believe that she'd be putting that training to good use right in front of Bokuto Station.

Kenny was to the left and two paces behind Natsumi. He scanned his side of the street looking for walkers. He had left his trademark sunglasses in the room where the guns were kept, so he had to squint a bit to see in the sunlight. Even though it was a nice spring day, he started sweating and had to wipe sweat drops from his eyes. He glanced over at Aoi. He had never seen her so determined before.

Aoi was to Natsumi's right and even with Kenny. Determined to not make the same mistake she had with Yoriko, she was vigilant on scanning for any targets. She had a good idea of their capabilities and was determined to keep them far enough at bay to complete this mission.

Saori, Kirishima and Sugihara followed up in the rear, two paces behind Kenny and Aoi. Saori and Sugihara walked more sideways and constantly swept their retreat route for any signs of getting cut off. Sugihara's knuckles were white as he gripped the MP5 but Saori held the P90 with an easy confidence.

They had crossed about a third of the over 150 meter distance from the gate to the crash when Natsumi spotted about twenty walkers on the far side of the car. She got a bit nervous and broke out in a sweat. Natsumi counted on Miyuki to deal with the threat.

Miyuki quickly counted the approaching intruders. There were twenty-three walkers headed for the car. She took stock of what she had. Her Steyr had only a four round magazine and she had only found two magazines loaded when she picked up the rifle. Even if she made eight successful head shots, that would leave at least fourteen walkers standing. She needed to get them to move away from the wreck.

She scanned the street behind the walkers. There was nothing she could see that could make enough noise until she spotted a Japan Post box about 250 meters away. She adjusted her sight and took steady aim. Squeezing the trigger, she let off a shot. With a soft "plop" the bullet left the gun but the sound it made when it hit the post box was not much louder. Only one walker in the back even noticed.

Miyuki got frantic. She started sweeping the sidewalk to see what there might be that could make more noise. She thought of shooting out a window, but she knew it would only be a short term sound. She then spotted a jewelry store about 20 meters past the post box. On the wall she spied a burglar alarm. Miyuki had an idea. She aimed at the bell and squeezed off another round. The bullet hit with a resounding "clang" that startled her. About four or five of the walkers stopped and turned around to search out the origin of the new sound. Miyuki glanced over at the rescue group. She saw her friend and partner glaring back at her.

Natsumi couldn't believe what Miyuki was doing. She thought she had heard her fire a shot just moments earlier but she didn't see any walkers drop. Now, Miyuki seemed to be shooting at a bell. "Was I wrong to rely on her? " Natsumi thought. It suddenly hit her that they had no communications with Miyuki. Well, it was a spur of the moment operation. What was she going to do to get Miyuki to stop what she was doing? She started to wave her left arm at Miyuki.

Miyuki took aim at the alarm bell again. Another shot, another loud _clang_. More of the walkers turned to seek out the new sound. All of them were in the back, however, and Natsumi and the others couldn't see them moving away from the car. Miyuki was sure her idea would work, though.

At the second clang, Natsumi almost ordered the team to turn around and fall back until she could figure out what Miyuki was up to. As she turned to give the order, Saori shouldered her P90 and squeezed off a shot. Natsumi's eyes snapped over to see two walkers about 5 meters behind the group. Saori's first shot hit the lead walker in the forehead and he pitched back, falling on the one following. It wouldn't have mattered much except the now finally dead walker was about 150 Kilos in weight and took the one behind him down like a pair of dominoes. Just then, a third loud _clang_ sounded down the street. This time, all but a few of the walkers reversed course and headed for the sound.

Miyuki concentrated on getting the entire group to reverse their direction of travel. She cycled the bolt and realized she was out. She dropped the magazine and reached for the second one she had placed on the wall but accidentally knocked it off. Daimaru spotted the magazine as it fell, picked it up immediately and handed it back to Miyuki. She slapped the magazine in the well, cycled the bolt again and shot the alarm bell a fourth time. This time, she hit not the bell but the controller. That caused a short that set the alarm off and it began to ring continuously.

Natsumi watched the last of the walkers turn around and head for the new sound. "So that was Miyuki's plan-to ring the dinner bell!" she thought. Natsumi turned to the group and said "Hurry! Miyuki's given us some relief!" They all ran to the car.

Kenny laid his gun on the ground and climbed up on the car. He reached down to help Aoi up. She holstered her gun and made her way up on the car. They got on either side of the passenger door and looked inside. Aoi then looked down at Natsumi and reported "There are four people in here. Honda, his daughter and two of her friends."

The two officers attempted to pull the car door open, but it was wedged stuck. Aoi looked back at Natsumi and said "We can't get it open, Natsumi. I think you need to get up here." She slid off the car and took the MP5 that Natsumi handed her. Natsumi then jumped up on the car and started pulling on the door with all her might. At first it didn't budge. Natsumi wiped her brow with her sleeve and tried one more time. Pulling with all her might, the door slowly began to move. She stopped, readjusted her grip and gave it one more heave. The door popped open.

Natsumi saw Megumi belted into the passenger seat. She was sobbing quietly. "Megumi, it's your Auntie Natsumi. Let's get you out of here" she said soothingly.

"Is my daddy alright, Auntie Natsumi?" Megumi choked out.

"We'll make sure he's alright, Megumi" Natsumi replied. "For now, we need to get you out of there. Unbuckle your seat belt and I'll hold you so you don't fall." Megumi unlatched the belt and Natsumi lifted her out of the car and into Kirishima's arms. He set her down gently and held onto her as he asked "Do you think you can stand?" "Yes" she sniffled.

Natsumi leaned into the car and shook Honda's shoulder. "Honda, are you awake?" she pleaded. He stirred and his eyes opened, then his hands flew to his head. "Oh man, what happened?" he groaned. Looking to the left at Natsumi hanging down into the car, he startled. "Tsujimoto, what are you doing?"

"I'm getting you out of here" Natsumi replied as she reached for the buckle of Honda's seat belt. Unlatching it, she said "Are you hurt anywhere, Honda?"

"Well, my head is pounding and my right shoulder is sore, but I don't think anything's broken" Honda replied. " I think I can get out of here OK." He worked his way out of the seat as Natsumi cleared the doorway. She then helped to pull him out of the car.

Natsumi got into the car to check on the backseat passengers. She found Maho and Yuuta in mild shock and just staring straight ahead. She thought it best not to ask about Shou. "Hi kids. Let me help you get out of here and we'll all go to the station together" she said in a soft voice. She unlatched Yuuta's seat belt and caught him as he fell, then handed him out of the door to Kenny.

She turned to Maho and unlatched her belt, then helped her out of the back. Maho started weeping softly. Natsumi held her and started rocking a bit, whispering in her ear, "You're alright now, we're here to take you to safety." She then lifted her up to Kenny who lowered her to the waiting rescuers.

Natsumi climbed out of the car and jumped down to the street with Kenny right behind her. "Are you all able to walk?" she asked. Honda nodded as he led Megumi in his arms. Kenny had picked up Maho and Aoi had Yuuta in her arms. "Then let's move out. Saori and Sugihara take point and I'll take the rear." They moved out in the reverse order of how the moved to the car, but Kenny and Aoi were closer to the center as they carried the two children in their arms.

The team had crossed the first 100 meters to the gate when Miyuki cried out from her overwatch position, "Watch out, Natsumi, there's a car coming at you!" Natsumi spotted a familiar red Mini Cooper barreling down the street headed right for Bokuto Station. It was the Fox! "What is he doing here?" Natsumi wondered to herself.

Miyuki instantly recognized the car and was afraid the driver would hit the rescue party before it could get back to safety so she aimed at the car, determined to save her friends. She picked up the driver in her scope and started laughing immediately, lifting the rifle to point it to the sky.

Natsumi saw the car brake and swerve to avoid the group and as it flashed by she recognized the driver-it was the priest Oshou! Natsumi started laughing too, and started running towards the car as it drove through the opening gate. She ran past the rest of the team, who all followed as quickly as possible, and made it to the famous red car. "So you're the Fox!" she exclaimed. Oshou just looked up at her with his big grin.

Aoi and Kenny led Honda and the children into the building, passing the Chief and Kinoshita as they came out to see how the rescue effort had fared. The Chief saw Oshou getting out of his car and broke into a run to get to his uncle. "Am I relieved to see you!" he exclaimed. "I was beginning to worry that you had..."

"I'm still too tough for that, Kachou" Oshou replied.

Miyuki, meanwhile, began to worry that the alarm bell, if it didn't stop soon, would attract way too many walkers to the street. That could be a problem in the future. She aimed at the bell and let off three more rounds. With the third round, the bell itself snapped off the wall and fell to the ground, hitting a walker in the head and killing her. Miyuki handed the rifle down to Daimaru and came down the ladder. Daimaru handed the gun to her and started to pick up the ladder. "Leave it, Nakajima" she said, "I might need it again."

Miyuki and Daimaru walked over to the group standing by the Mini Cooper. Grinning, she exclaimed "The great secret has been revealed!" Oshou turned to Miyuki with a big grin on his face. "If it wasn't for this crisis, I'd still be a phantom" he replied. Turning back to Natsumi, he asked "What were you all doing out there? I thought you were some of them until I was almost on top of you."

"A group of survivors were headed to the station when their car overturned" Natsumi explained. "We got them out of the car and back here to safety."

There was a loud "Pop" from out in the street. The group turned to see a thin column of smoke arising from the wrecked car. A small bright spot of light at the base of the column quickly turned into flames that danced around the fuel tank of the vehicle. As the rescuers stared in disbelief, the flames rapidly engulfed the back of the car. With a "K-Whump" sound, the flames spread to the entirety of the wreck. Thankfully, there was no explosion, but the acrid odor of burning tires and upholstery descended upon the group. With no way to put out the flames, nor the desire to expose themselves to possible attack, the rescuers turned back to the station and went inside.

"Oshou" the Chief asked his uncle, "What took you so long to get here? I called you over three hours ago."

"I had to work when I could to load the car with supplies" the priest replied.

"What supplies?" the Chief inquired.

Oshou walked over to the back of the Mini Cooper and opened the hatchback. Inside was amateur radio equipment. There were two or three tabletop transceivers, some auxiliary speakers, microphones and even Morse code sending keys. The Chief recognized one of them as his uncle's very first shortwave radio-a tube-type radio. "I didn't know you still had this one" he commented.

"She still works like a champ and I hated to part with her" Oshou said. Besides, she sometimes outperforms all the solid state wonder boxes I have now. It's always prudent to have back-ups."

The Chief nodded. "Uncle, why don't you drive around to the back. You can unload the radios by the door and then park in an empty space. We'll see where you can set up the rig a little later. I have a meeting to get back to right now." He turned and walked back into the building.

Honda and the children, escorted by Aoi and Kenny, arrived at the infirmary. Nurse Okazaki hurried over to the four civilians and said "You must be the people that were rescued from that car crash. Follow me to the beds and lay down until I can examine each of you." With that she led the four to a group of beds. She drew the curtains around the beds but let the four survivors have a clear view of each other. Kyou began to examine each of the four and when she was satisfied that they did not need further attention told them, "I want you all to stay here for a while. It won't be much more than an hour. If there are no developments, you all will be able to go then."

Aoi and Kenny returned to the squad room to find Miyuki, Natsumi, Saori and the Chief in a boisterous discussion. As they walked in, they heard Natsumi say, "... and I thought Miyuki had gone out of her mind when I heard the alarm bell ding for the first time. I tried to wave at her but she had her attention on the scope."

"I knew you couldn't see the number of walkers that were headed right at you and I had no way to warn you" Miyuki replied. "When my first shot didn't get the effect I desired, I started to panic until I saw the alarm box on the store. It was sheer luck that I got it to ring for so long with one well-placed shot."

Inspector Kinoshita walked into the room as Miyuki was finishing her statement. "'Luck favors the well-prepared' they say." she commented, smiling at Miyuki. "While you've never trained for a... well, I might as well say it, a zombie invasion; you've trained your mind and body well enough that you suppressed your panic and found a solution to the dilemma." She walked over to the Chief and said to him "We've got to move on our plan now. Inspector Tokuno is waiting in his office for us."

The Chief glanced at his watch and nodded. "If we're going to do this right we've got to get a move on." Looking at Miyuki, he said to her, "Kobayakawa, the Inspector and I are going to meet with Inspector Tokuno and I'd like you to come with us."

Puzzled, Miyuki looked from the Chief to the Inspector and then to Natsumi. Natsumi broke the silence.

"What's going on, Chief?" she asked.

"You'll all learn in about 45 minutes" he replied. Looking at the group, he continued, "Would you please pass the word to all officers present that we will hold a mandatory briefing in the cafeteria at 1530. We'll also need any civilians present to leave until the briefing is over.. The only exceptions will be Oshou and your father, Nakajima. Would you go to him first and ask him to come to the cafeteria at that time?" Nakajima nodded yes, a look of concern on his face.

With that, the group broke up. Miyuki and Inspector Kinoshita headed out to Inspector Tokuno's office while the rest went off in different directions to pass the word to all the officers. Aoi was at the back of the group. Just before she went though the door, the Chief said, "Futaba, could you come back for a moment? I have something else for you to do."

Aoi turned around and crossed back to where the Chief was standing. This time she had a puzzled look on her face. "What do you want me to do, Chief?" she asked.

"The three of us... Kinoshita, Tokuno and myself... have been debating all day what to do about Onodera" the Chief replied. "We can't tell if his 'conversion' is sincere or just an act to get him out of a particularly bad situation. Do you feel you know him well enough to make a judgment?"

Aoi's gaze dropped to the floor and her brow wrinkled as she though. She looked the Chief straight in the eyes and stated "I studied him for so long I know him almost as well as I know myself. I'm sure I could detect if he is lying or being less than sincere."

"Good" the Chief said. "Go down to the detention cell and find out if he has had a 'battlefield conversion'. If you think he can be trusted now, we'll let him out-but he needs to know he will still be under scrutiny by every officer here. We won't hesitate to deal with him if he double-crosses us."

"You realize this might take longer that 45 minutes?" Aoi inquired.

"I know. You're excused from the briefing" the Chief assured her. We'll fill you in when you get back." With that, he turned and hurried out the squad room door.

Contemplating her next task, Aoi took her P232 out of its holster and then took off the shoulder holster holding the P239. She locked both guns in her desk drawer and headed for the door.

"This is going to be very interesting" she thought as she headed in the direction of the detention cells.

_(Please join in the discussion of Bokuto Precinct of the DEAD in the Forums-Anime/Manga-You're Under Arrest! section.)_


	13. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Miyuki walked briskly down the hallway with Inspector Kinoshita. "Inspector" Miyuki started as they approached Inspector Tokuno's office, "may I ask about the plan you were talking about and what I may have to do with it?"

"All in due time, Miyuki," Kinoshita replied, "but you'll be working closely with all of us. Oh, and you may call me Karouko in private."

"I see, Inspec... I mean, Karouko" Miyuki acknowledged. She wondered what the work would entail. They reached the Criminal Investigation Division office door and Kinoshita knocked. Inspector Tokuno invited them in.

Miyuki saw a small conference table in one corner of the room. There were six chairs around the table. Inspector Tokuno moved to one chair and Karouko sat two chairs away from him. She indicated to Miyuki to sit down in the chair opposite the one between the two senior officers.

"Kachou was just behind us, I thought" Karouko commented. "I wonder what's holding him up?"

The door opened and the Chief walked in. "I'm sorry I was delayed. I just talked with Futaba and she has agreed to evaluate Onodera and advise us what we need to do with him." He went to the chair between the two Inspectors and sat down.

"Miyuki" Karouko began, "how much do you know about the present situation in Tokyo?"

"Well... "Miyuki thought for a few moments. "I haven't seen any television or heard any radio news since I came to work. I only know what we have heard and seen in and around the station. I take it this is not a local outbreak."

"Before we go on, I must insist that anything we discuss here must remain between the four of us" the Chief interjected. "That being said, none of us knew how widespread this crisis was until just recently. We're still working on sketchy information, but it appears this is a worldwide event."

Miyuki gasped. "Worldwide? Why didn't we hear about it sooner?"

Karouko took over. "We know very little about what's going on. We don't know if it is a natural occurrence or man-made. We don't know if it was something that was spread beforehand and triggered or if it was spontaneous. We don't know if it's a plague, a contagion, a pandemic, a bio-weapon or somehow even a psy weapon. What we do know is that it has paralyzed the city and the government is on the verge of collapse, if it hasn't happened already."

Tears welled in Miyuki's eyes. She felt a sudden chill and began to shake. It was all too much for her; too much too fast. Inspector Tokuno spoke up.

"Miyuki, are you feeling OK? I know it's an information overload but we need you to keep it together right now. It's important."

Miyuki sat back in her chair, took a couple of deep breaths and willed her rising fear to retreat. "What can I do to help?' she said, with just a bit of a tremble in her voice.

Karouko nodded at the other two officers as she said "the three of us have been in contact with Headquarters since shortly after I was released by Nurse Okazaki. The situation has become so dire that we have been given orders to do whatever is necessary to maintain order in our area..."

Inspector Tokuno blurted out "We were NOT given orders to do whatever is necessary, we were asked to maintain order in the ward..."

The Chief spoke up "Tokuno, Karouko, please! We've argued about this enough. We don't have the luxury of time any more, we have got to do _something_." Turning to a wide-eyed Miyuki, he continued "Forgive us, Miyuki. You're seeing some of the inner workings of command for the first time, I suspect. We may have our disagreements in private but we have come to an agreement and we will stand united in public."

"We're in a real dilemma here" continued the Chief. "In the last hour or so, our contact with Headquarters has become somewhat sporadic. We're hearing a lot of chatter on the radios and it sounds as if certain locations are about to have a breakdown of order. To top it off, we're in a quarantine zone and have a number of officers from other stations who have made their way to Bokuto. We don't know these officers and we're concerned about the extent they may impact good order and discipline here. If there's one thing we're all in agreement on, it's that we have to maintain good order and discipline or everyone here may be doomed."

Karouko looked at her watch. "In about fifteen minutes, we are going to announce that we are organizing the officers present at Bokuto Station into a unit that will have as its task the survival of all the people presently here in the building as well as any who may still make it here. This will mean the defense of Bokuto Station and the eventual evacuation of all personnel here to a safe location."

"Where do I fit in to this?" Miyuki asked.

Karouko continued. "First, let me lay out the basic structure we have developed here. Among the three of us, Kachou is the most senior and has the most experience. Therefore, we have chosen him to be the commanding officer. Tokuno and I will be his seconds in command, as well as each leading a section of officers. You, Miyuki, will act as Kachou's aide-de-camp. No, you'll be more than that. With your insight, training and intelligence we'll be relying on you to come up with solutions to the problems we will face in the same way you saved the rescue party from the... I believe you're calling them 'walkers' now."

Miyuki fell back in her chair, stunned. In any ordinary situation this would be a dream position. However, with all they might face, what the three Inspectors were saying was that they were going to entrust _her_ with the lives of everyone here. Could she do it?

"Are you sure you want me? Wouldn't Sugihara be a more experienced officer?" Miyuki stammered out. "I don't know if I could do it."

Tokuno gave Miyuki a fatherly smile and said "I believe in you, Miyuki. I was the one who initially suggested the position. Sugihara is an experienced officer, true, but you have an exceptional ability to think outside of the box that he just doesn't possess. That's one of the main reasons I would call on the Traffic Section to assist us in so many cases. You've proven yourself time and time again."

Kachou also smiled and said "Miyuki, I am not looking on you as an assistant or a secretary. I'm looking on you as a..." He searched for the words. "...as a tactical or strategic planner that will guide us through the next few days and weeks."

"Miyuki," Karouko added "when Tokuno brought your name up, we all agreed immediately. So far, that has been the only item we've agreed about without debate." She reached across the table and took Miyuki's left hand. "Believe in yourself, Miyuki. We believe in you."

Miyuki heaved a great sigh, then another. She sat up straight in her chair, looked each of the Inspectors in the eyes and then turned back to look at Kachou. With a new found determination in her voice, she said "I'll do it. I promise I won't let you down."

The three officers sat back in their chairs, each one breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank you Miyuki," Kachou said. "Now I think we'll be able to pull this off."

"What do I do first?" Miyuki asked.

"I hope you're a quick study" Karouko said as she reached behind her for a file on a bookshelf. Handing it to Miyuki, she continued "This is as much of the personnel files of all the non-Bokuto officers as we could get our hands on. Go through them and see what special qualifications we have on hand-as well as any potential trouble spots."

Tokuno picked up from there. "You can use Nakano's office. He was off today and did not report in. I fear the worst."

Miyuki stood up, shaking her head. "We must continue on" she commented, then turned and went to the door. Opening it, a thought popped into her head and she turned around, smiling. "Kachou, does this mean I'm excused from that traffic report?"

Kachou smiled back at Miyuki. "What traffic report? You work for me now and I didn't assign any traffic report." Tokuno snorted as Karouko looked at the two men like they had suddenly grown second heads. Miyuki laughed and left the office.

"What was _that_ about?" Karouko exclaimed.

"This day started with Miyuki having to complete a traffic report by the end of the day" Kachou replied. "It was a task she was _not_ looking forward to having to accomplish. Therefore, I take that joke as a good sign. She's overcoming whatever doubts she has about her ability to do the job. She's accepted the responsibility."

"Then that's a relief" Karouko admitted. "I never saw her so shaken as she was just a few minutes ago."

"Miyuki has fears, just like all the rest of us" Tokuno said, looking at the door, "but when she overcomes those fears, she's like a tigress." Turning to his fellow Inspectors, he continued "Have you two planned what you will say at the briefing?"

Aoi decided to stop by the woman's locker room before going to interview Onodera. She wanted to look her freshest when she talked to him, so he wouldn't be as likely to notice the fatigue that seemed to have taken over her body.

Walking into the locker room, Aoi had an unfamiliar feeling-a feeling that she was not in the right place. Attributing the feeling to fatigue, she went to her locker and retrieved her makeup bag. She crossed over to the line of sinks, put her bag down and looked in the mirror. The image that she saw shocked her-it was subtle, but she noticed a change in her face that made her look slightly more masculine. Shaking her head, she unintentionally said out loud "These last few hours have been rough on me."

She heard a voice behind her say, "But Aoi, you _always_ look prettier than any of us!" At the same time, she detected the odor of an unusual perfume. No, wait... it wasn't perfume, it was shampoo. Yoriko's shampoo. She started to smile and looked in the mirror to see Yoriko standing behind her-but there was no one there.

The realization of what had happened to her partner-what Aoi had done to her friend-hit her like a bullet through her own heart. "Yoriko!" she wailed, gripping the sides of a sink to keep from collapsing on the floor. "Yoriko! Why did it have to be you?" Her tears-hot, salty and stinging-started flowing down her cheeks again. Gasping for air as she sobbed, it was all Aoi could do to keep herself upright.

Saori was hurrying past the locker room when she hear Aoi's wailing. Rushing into the room, she saw Aoi teetering on the edge of crumpling into a heap on the floor. "Senpai!" she exclaimed as she rushed to the taller woman's side.

Aoi continued to sob. "Yoriko, Yoriko, I'm so sorry I let you down" she choked out as she shook with the heaving of her sobs. Saori put her right arm around Aoi's waist and Aoi's left arm over her shoulder and attempted to move her to a sofa just a few feet away. Aoi hadn't noticed her, so Saori said consolingly "Senpai, please, let me help you to sit down. We can talk about it then."

Aoi came to the realization that the policewoman was trying to support her so she let Saori guide her to the sofa, crying and calling out Yoriko's name all the way. She let Saori help her sit and then doubled over as she continued to mourn her friend.

Saori sat down next to Aoi and began to stroke her hair. "Aoi, I know you're hurting" she began. "I can't imagine how much of a trauma you've been through. I can't speak for Yoriko, but I do know that you did what you could for her."

As Aoi listened to Saori, her sobs began to lessen. The words-no, the feeling that Saori had for her-flowed into Aoi's wounded heart and ease the ache she felt. She slumped towards Saori as she sat back up, though she still covered her face with her hands.

"Aoi, we need you to be strong now" Saori continued, putting her arm around her friend. "We need you more than ever. I know it's hard to think of it, but we'll have to wait until we get through this crisis before we can truly grieve-but grieve we shall. She was a friend to all of us. We will never forget her."

Aoi rested her head oh Saori's shoulder as she slowly regained her composure. Her breathing slowed to normal and she calmed down. As she did, she noticed that Saori's hair smelled similar to Yoriko's. Could that have been what triggered the episode? She slowly shook her head. Letting out a long sigh, Aoi said "Where ever did you get such wisdom, Saori?""From my friends here at Bokuto, silly" Saori chuckled. "May I ask what happened to you?"

"Well, I came in here to freshen up before I went to talk with Onodera..." Aoi started, the she sat bolt upright. "Oh, no! How much time have I wasted? I'm sure I look a wreck. I wanted to look fresh for the interview-I didn't want him to think he could get the upper hand over me due to fatigue."

"Don't worry, we'll get you fixed up in a jiffy!" Saori replied, then stood up and held out her hand to Aoi. "Cone on, girl, we've got work to do!"

Aoi took Saori's outstretched hand and stood up, then the two women went over to the mirrors and began the task of making Aoi look fresh and beautiful again.

Gendo Onodera had been thinking a great deal. It was all he could do. He had been locked in a holding cell since his arrival at Bokuto Station and, except for a lunched delivered to him by a stern-looking policeman, he had been all alone. The officer hadn't even come to collect the remains of the lunch.

Even in the isolation of the holding cell area, Gendo could hear activity going on all around him. At one point, he heard a group of people running down the hallway near the cell block, with a woman's voice shouting out what sounded like orders. He couldn't make out what they were saying but it sounded urgent.

Gendo wondered if they had found someone else in a situation like he had found himself in-surrounded by those... his mind struggled for the word for he could not call them people. He wondered also if they had been able to be as successful as Aoi was in rescuing him from certain death-not to mention what lay beyond. The sights, sounds and smells of that incident still haunted him as they swirled through his mind. He was finding it almost impossible to process the imagery, much less make sense of it.

What he could make sense of was his savior. He chuckled as he recalled the sight of Aoi, pistol in hand, with a shocked look on her face as she saw that he was the person she rescued. She could have shot him right there and nobody would have been the wiser. In fact, no one would probably ever discover the body. She didn't, however-she let him live, and even made sure he got safely to the sanctuary of Bokuto Station.

Gendo had drifted off to sleep and began to dream. He saw Aoi standing a short distance away from him, dressed in the blouse and skirt he saw her in so many times all those years ago. She held out her hand to him, and as he approached her to take her hand in his, she spoke. In a sharp voice she said "Onodera, wake up! We need to talk!"

Gendo was confused and started to say something to her but she repeated "Wake up, Onodera!" He then opened his eyes and realized he was still in the holding cell, but that Aoi was standing outside the cell and really was ordering him to wake up. He sat up groggily and said "What do you want to talk about, Aoi?"

Aoi snapped back, "That's Officer Futaba to you!"

Chastened, Gendo dropped his head. "I'm sorry, Officer Futaba. I meant no disrespect. I was just wondering what we needed to talk about."

Aoi relaxed a bit. She had never seen Onodera like this before. He had always been haughty and arrogant, believing himself in control of any situation. Perhaps his brush with death-and the undead-had really given him a change of heart. She knew it might be a real change, or just the result of the adrenaline rush of fear that would eventually wear off. She had to find out which it was.

"Please forgive my testiness just then" Aoi began. "This has been an unprecedented situation and everyone is on edge, including me. I need to see... "Aoi trailed off, unsure of how to phrase her intentions.

"You want to see if I still harbor my hatred of you and if I would be a danger to you and to the others here at the station" Gendo offered.

Aoi turned beet-red as she stammered "W-well... w-well... I wouldn't have put it _that_ bluntly, but you are correct. We need to know if you can be trusted enough to be released. This is a very dangerous, even deadly situation..."

"Don't I know it!" Gendo interjected. "I almost became a human sushi bar for a group of them!"

As the enormity of the seemingly flippant remark sunk in, both Aoi and Gendo sat in silence. Finally, Gendo spoke in a quiet voice "Aoi, I mean Officer Futaba... May I ask you why you did save me?"

Aoi sat there, mulling the question over. Why did she save Onodera she wondered. After a minute she spoke. "To tell the truth, I did not know it was you when I started shooting. All I knew was that someone was about to be overwhelmed by... _them_. In fact, because you were shooting, I thought you were a police officer at first. I must say I was startled to see you in that entryway. I knew you were out and suspected that you'd be looking for me-that's why I was carrying a gun. In any other situation, I probably would have shot you on sight..."

Gendo was nodding his head. "I understand. I was so filled with bitterness and shame that I wanted to strike out at you-until I found myself in the doorway. Everything changed at that moment-I was certain I was going to die. The shame, the bitterness, the hatred-it all became so... _useless_. None of it seemed like it would make a difference at that time, or for the rest of my life. And then... you appeared as an angel of salvation for me..."

"Please, Gendo, don't go romanticizing that incident"Aoi cautioned, a concerned feeling rising within her. "I was only doing the job I swore to do as a policewo... officer." Aoi hadn't realized she had used his first name.

"I know, Aoi" Gendo replied. "I'm not saying that I feel that way, I'm just describing how it appeared to me at the time. But to answer your question, all that hate and bitterness... I left them in that doorway. I'm not the same man I was twenty four hours ago."

"I can see that, Gen... I mean, Onodera" Aoi observed, catching herself finally. "You'll be under constant observation and possible restrictions on where you can go, and of course you'll not be able to carry a gun, but I'll let the Chief know I believe that we will not need to keep you in the holding cell."

"Thank you, A... Officer Futaba" Gendo said humbly. "I'll be happy to submit to any conditions for release. I just want to survive, and I'm understanding we need to rely on each other to do so."

"If you keep that attitude, then we'll all come out of this alive." Aoi said in agreement. "However, until the Chief authorizes it, you'll have to stay where you are."

"Understood" was all that Gendo replied.

Aoi turned and walked out of the cell block.

When Saori Saga left the woman's locker room after consoling Aoi, she went directly to the infirmary to talk with Nurse Okazaki. Saori wanted to share her concerns with Kyou about Aoi's condition as she was worried that her senpai seemed still unable to handle the loss of her partner at her own hands. She walked into the infirmary and headed towards the nurses' desk but stopped short when she noticed Kyou wasn't there.

"She's just gone off to get me some tea and a roll. She should be back in a few minutes" said a man sitting on the couch by the windows. He wore a mechanic's coveralls and had bandages on his forehead and wrapped around the back of his right hand. Saori couldn't place him for a moment, then realized he was the driver of the vehicle that had crashed in front of the station-the one she had helped rescue.

"I see you're up. How are you doing?" Saori asked.

"About as well as can be for a man who crashed his car with his daughter and her friends in it" he replied. "By the way, I'm Toshiro Honda. I'm Megumi's dad and Nakajima's mechanic-Daimeru's, that is" he continued. "I remember seeing you out there with the rest of the rescue party. Thank you for getting us out of that nightmare."

"You're welcome" Saori replied. "Oh, by the way, my name is Saori Saga. I'm pleased to meet you" She held out her hand, which Honda grasped with a bit of a wince.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you" Saori exclaimed.

"Don't worry, it's nothing" Honda assured her. "I actually injured it about five minutes before all Hell broke loose. The only injury form the crash was this bump on my forehead."

"I see" Saori said. She stood there and thought for a few seconds than asked with a puzzled face "You're Megumi's father?"

"That I am" Honda replied. "Oh, you must be the Saori she talked about a while back."

"Yes, I started my police career here at Bokuto Station" Saori said with a bit of pride. "Kobayakawa and Tsujimoto were my senpais."

"Hmm. I wonder why I don't remember you" Honda. "I thought I knew all the co-workers of Ken, Miyuki and Natsumi."

"That's because I transferred to Johoku Station about two years ago" Saori began. "I was chosen to join the cyber crimes division. I love my work, but I miss all my friends and senpais here at Bokuto."

Kyou walked into the infirmary just then. She had a plate with a roll on it in one hand and two big mugs of tea in the other hand. Saori spied a meat roll on the plate and her stomach reminded her she hadn't had time to eat since breakfast. "Oh, hello Saori" she said in greeting. " I didn't know you'd be here or I'd have brought you something, too." She walked over to Honda and handed him the roll and a mug.

"Thank you, but I'm fine, Nurse Okazaki" Saori replied as her stomach registered its disagreement to the statement. "Besides, I just stopped in for a minute to tell you something. I have to get to the meeting."

"Oh, that's right. It starts in ten minutes" Kyou acknowledged, looking at the clock on the wall. "I just hope it's good news they'll be passing out. Maybe you can let me know after the meeting-as soon as you're done eating, that is"

Saori's cheeks reddened as she realized her growling stomach was now audible to all. "I'll stop by if I can, Nurse Okazaki" she promised.

"Please, call me Kyou, Saori" the nurse asked her. "But what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Saori grew nervous. "Well, um... You see, it's about Aoi..."

Honda stood up and cleared his throat. Bending over to pick up his mug off the table beside the couch, he said "I think I should go check on Megumi and her friends. This has been the most frightening day of their young lives, I'm sure." He walked back to where the curtains were drawn around three beds.

Walking to her desk, Kyou sat down behind it and motioned for Saori to sit in the chair next to the desk. "What's your concern with Aoi?" she inquired.

Saori laid out the whole incident in the locker room to Kyou. Kyou sat there, staring intently at Saori with her hands pressed together and her index fingers touching her lips. When Saori finished with her recounting, Kyou folded her hands on the desktop and asked "so you believe that Aoi heard Yoriko's voice in her head and that was what set her off?"

Saori stared at the desk for a few moments and said "I don't know if she actually heard her voice or just recalled the memory of it. I just know that she was so distraught... I have never seen Aoi like that-ever! I wasn't sure if I should tell you, but I had to tell someone, and you are probably in the best position to help her if she needs it."

"You did the right thing, Saori" Kyou said. "I am worried that something will happen to her and... well, I don't want to see anything happen to her."

"Thank you, Nurse... I mean, Kyou" Saori replied with relief. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she jumped up. "I've got to go. I don't want to be late for the meeting!" She hurried out of the infirmary.

Kyou pulled Aoi's file out of the basket it was sitting in, opened it and began to make notes.

As she headed towards the cafeteria, Saori nearly ran into a group of people also heading in that direction. She realized it was the Chief, Inspector Tokuno and Assistant Inspector Kinoshita-and Miyuki was with them. In fact, she was carrying a small pile of file folders and talking with Inspector Kinoshita as she hurried by. Saori was sure none of them realized it was her they almost ran into. Then, they all froze in their tracks.

From the street outside came the wail for a police car siren, along with the incessant honking of a horn. The five officers broke into a run to get to the cafeteria, where they could see the street below. What they saw was a battered police car, lights flashing and siren wailing, sitting right outside the closed gate of Bokuto Station.

"Miyuki, go see what the hell is going on now!" the Chief roared. Inspector Kinoshita held her hands out as Miyuki thrust the stack of folders into them. She then turned around and took off running, her long ponytail bouncing with her steps. As she passed Saori, she spied the policewoman and barked out "Saori-with ME!" Saori fell in behind her at full speed. She wondered what would greet them at the gate this time.


	14. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Sakura Fujieda sat back away from the gate at the entryway to Bokuto Station. She was half in shock and half in despair at what she was seeing. Outside the gate there were twenty or thirty of them wandering around the street and sidewalks. They were frightening to look at-gray skinned, vacant-eyed and with various-sized chunks of flesh missing from various parts of their bodies. She whispered to herself "Why, oh why did I want to see what was going on with my own eyes?"

Sakura had wanted to see first-hand what was happening outside of the safety of the walls of the station. She approached Assistant Inspector Kinoshita to see what she could do.

"You're still pretty new here at Bokuto, aren't you?" Kinoshita asked.

"Yes, I know that I am" Sakura replied. "However, I feel so useless just sitting here doing nothing. I joined the Metropolitan Police Department to help people, not to sit and hide."

"Can you handle a gun?" Kinoshita continued.

"I went through training at the academy" Sakura offered.

"That won't be enough for any assignments outside the wall" Kinoshita told the officer. She stood there and thought for a minute. "We need a relief at the gate for the next hour or two. Why don't you go relieve Doushima?"

"What about the meeting? It's in 30 minutes or so, isn't it?" asked Sakura.

"We'll make sure you get all the information we'll be passing out" Kinoshita replied. She spotted Teizou Samejima walking past and stopped him. "Are you busy right now, Samejima?" she asked.

"I was just going down to the front gate to check on Takeshi" he said.

"Good" Kinoshita replied. "Would you please take Officer Fujieda down with you? She has volunteered to take a turn at the gate. You can brief her as you go down there."

Teizou nodded to the Inspector then turned to Sakura. "Have you been outside since the crisis started, Fujieda?"

"No, I haven't" she replied.

"Then you better prepare yourself" Teizou continued. "You'll be walking up to the gates of Hell itself. Follow me." He set off down the hall and Sakura followed.

As they walked down the hall towards the staircase, Teizou started briefing Sakura. "The most important thing is to be as quiet as possible at all times. Apparently the only sense still working for … um, _them_, is hearing. They can't see you and we can't tell if they can smell. Their sight is gone and they can only make noises."

"Do they look... _gross_?" Sakura asked.

Teizou stopped and took a deep breath. "I'm not going to lie to you. They look _bad_. Remember, this appears to only be spread by a bite from an infected person, so all of them will have bite marks or worse somewhere on them. Their skin is gray, like all the blood has drained out of them-but there's plenty of blood around." Sakura gasped, her hand flying up to cover her mouth.

Teizou looked Sakura right in the eyes. "Are you sure you're up for this?"

Closing her eyes, Sakura took a deep breath and then another one. She opened her eyes and, returning Teizou's stare, replied "I'll be OK. Let's go." There was only the slightest waiver in her voice.

Arriving at the lobby, Teizou and Sakura stopped. Teizou turned Sakura around by her shoulders so she faced him and not the doors to the outside. "This is your last chance" he admonished her. "No one will think any less of you if you don't go out there, but if you do-you'll never be the same."

"I understand, Samejima-san" Sakura declared. "I realize that at some point I will have to go through those doors. I-I think I should do it now."

"Remember, we need to be as quiet as possible out there" Teizou admonished Sakura as she turned around and they went out the front doors.

Sakura's eyes immediately began to tear up-not from fear or sadness but from the haze of acrid smoke that hung in the air from the burning wreck of Honda's car, not to mention all the other fires in the area that would not be extinguished until they burned themselves out. The smell of smoke was tinged with that of burnt flesh along with a very slight odor of decay. There was an eerie quiet around what what usually a bustling city street. All Sakura could hear was a far away ringing of a fire alarm that would never be answered and a low rumbling from beyond the gate.

The two police officers crossed the driveway, walking to the right side of the gate. As they approached an impromptu guard shack created over the last few hours, Sakura got her first good look at... _them_. A group of four began crossing the driveway leading into Bokuto station, shuffling along like the monsters she had seen in TV horror movies. Sakura let out an involuntary gasp at the sight which caused one of the walkers to turn at the sound. Sakura stood stock still and held her breath at the movement of the walker. It took two steps towards, then ran into the gate with a soft "thud". It tried to go forward once more, with the same result. Then another walker bumped into it, causing it to turn and resume its crossing of the driveway.

Teizou had reached the guard's position by then. He turned to say something to Sakura and saw her standing there, frozen. He glanced at the gate, saw that the group of walkers had cleared it and hissed at Sakura to get her attention. That broke her spell and she ran over to where the two other officers stood.

"Are you sure you're OK, Fujieda? I can take over for you-I was planning to come down here anyway" Teizou asked in a stage whisper.

"I'm... I'll be OK, Samejima-san." she replied in a low voice. "I was taken aback by how acute their hearing appears to be."

"Fujieda, it shouldn't be too hard for you" Detective Doushima said quietly. "If you need any assistance, just give out a call on the radio" he said as he took a headset off of his head and handed it to her. He then unclipped the radio from his belt and handed that to her.

"Do I need a gun?" Sakura asked, glancing at the pistol on Doushima's belt.

"It wouldn't be good to fire a gun that wasn't silenced out here" Doushima replied. "There's been so much going on that I just forgot to take it off before coming down here. Your radio and the gate are your best protection." He then went over the operation of the gate remote control, then said "We need to get any survivors who show up in here, but we have to also keep this area safe. We've been fortunate that the contagion hasn't shown up in here yet." Sakura nodded in understanding.

"Well, we have to go in now to get to the meeting. I'm sure you'll be filled in on what was given out there after you're relieved" Teizou said, then the two male officers walked back to the building, leaving Sakura on her own outside.

As she watched the men cross the driveway, walk up the steps and go through the doors, Sakura felt a chill run down her spine. As the doors shut, a feeling of isolation she had never experienced before hit her like a shock wave. Sakura was just about to drop everything and run back to the building when she heard the crackle of a mic being keyed in her headphone. Then she heard a voice in her ear.

"Sakura-chan, I'm proud of you. Hang in there-we're just a few seconds away if you need us." It was Kaori Takano, her partner. She heaved a silent sigh of relief and keyed her mic. "Thank you, Kaori-chan. I was starting to freak out. I'm glad you're there."

"When I heard you had volunteered for gate duty, I figured you'd want to have a friendly voice on the other end of the radio" Kaori said. Now, be safe but do your job well, Sakura-chan."

"I will" Sakura replied. The radio fell silent.

Sakura sat down in the guard shack. She noticed that her position allowed her to see enough of the gate and the street to be able to let anyone in who needed refuge without exposing herself. She attempted to relax while keeping vigilant. As she did, she realized that what she thought was rumbling was the sound of the walkers. There were a few dozen scattered around the street and the moans blended into a sound that was quite unsettling.

The next few minutes passed by uneventfully. Walkers shuffled past the gate and paid Sakura no mind but she still kept a wary eye on them. She thought of humming to herself but she couldn't think of any tunes she knew that wouldn't be completely inappropriate for the present situation. She didn't know what else she could do. Then, she noticed something.

Off in the distance, Sakura heard what appeared to be a police car siren wailing. She thought it might be from another area and carried by the wind, since it was otherwise so quiet outside the walls of Bokuto Station, but she realized with a start that the sound was increasing in volume-rapidly! She reached for the mic key to report the sound when she heard a long, loud screech followed by the "clang" of metal on metal-all this while the siren blared on and the horn started honking.

Sakura jumped up to see what had happened as her headset crackled to life again. "What is going on out there, Sakura-chan? Are you alright?" Kaori asked excitedly. "I don't know yet" Sakura replied as she moved to get a better look.

Sakura came upon a battered Porsche 911 hardtop that had landed right up against the gate. It appeared to be a police car. The lights on top were flashing, the siren was blaring and the driver was honking the horn. Sakura had a hard time making out who was in the car-the windshield was blood-streaked and just about shattered. The hood of the car was also blood-streaked and badly dented. Sakura stood there stunned, then realized that the few dozen walkers who were in the area were all starting to converge on the car.

Moving to the left so the driver could see her, Sakura started waving her arms and mouthing the words "Turn off the sirens". She kept repeating it but on the third time, a voice rang out clearly as she mouthed the words. The voice said "Turn off the damn siren, Sagamiono! You're attracting _them_!" It was Miyuki. She was running to the gate. Saori was right behind her, carrying the FN P90 she had used in the rescue of Honda. Reaching the gate, she stuck the silencer just through the bars and started picking off the nearest walkers. Swinging from left to right, she fired six times and the six closest walkers all dropped over, finally dead.

"CHIE!" Miyuki repeated at the top of her lungs, and suddenly the siren fell silent. Miyuki turned to Sakura. "Get over to the controls but don't open til I give you the sign!" Sakura ran to the guard's position and grabbed the remote.

Miyuki swept the street with her eyes, then pointed to the right. "Over there, Saori. I think just those last three..." Before she could finish, the three walkers dropped. Saori stepped back from the gate, the P90 at the ready.

Miyuki motioned for Chie to back her car up a few feet, then gave Sakura the sign. Sakura hit the "Open" button and the gates groaned but did not budge. They had been knocked off their tracks by Chie's Porsche. Miyuki stared at the gate in surprise but then heard a yell from behind her as Natsumi ran over to the gate with her right shoulder down. She slammed into the gates and they bounced back onto their tracks and began to retract. Miyuki and Natsumi stepped out of the way as the gates made an opening big enough for the car to fit through. Sakura had positioned herself to get a better view of the gate and reversed the direction of motion the instant the tail of the car cleared the gate. One walker had moved too close and was in danger of making it through the gap but Saori took aim and dropped it just as the gates clanged shut.

Miyuki wheeled around and began to cross over to the Porsche to chew out Chie but saw the policewoman running through the front doors of the station. She could hear he yelling "Yoriko!" as the doors closed. Heaving a sigh, she took off after her. Natsumi and Saori followed the pursuit.

Sakura stood by the guard's position and surveyed the scene. Chie's Porsche was sitting in front of the front steps with its engine still running. Walking over to the driver's door, she reached inside and turned off the ignition. The eerie quiet returned to the driveway in front of the station. Sakura looked towards the gate and saw about a dozen of the walkers there. With the source of the sound now gone, they were reduced to milling about. She approached to within an arm's length of the gate and checked it. It was back on its track and the two sections of gate had meshed correctly (and securely) once again. She went back to the chair at the guard's position and sat down with a quiet sigh. "And I thought it was going to be deadly dull" she thought to herself.

Miyuki, Natsumi and Saori were about ten seconds behind Chie as she tore through the corridors of the station. She called out for Yoriko all the way to the Traffic Section squad room, where she burst through the door. Chie was met with a room full of empty desks. She was just about to turn around and continue her search in the next likely location when her three pursuers caught up with her. As they came in the door, the saw Chie standing there with her hair askew and her blouse pulled out from her skirt. She was panting from the the run.

"Where's Yoriko?" she demanded .

The three policewomen looked at each other, then Miyuki spoke. "Chie, I have some..."

"Where's Yoriko?" Chie repeated, growing more irritated.

"I am trying to break the news as gently..." Miyuki continued.

"WHERE'S YORIKO?" Chie shouted.

"She's DEAD" Natsumi shouted back

Chie's eyes grew as wide a saucers and all the color drained from her face. She teetered for a moment and then fell over backwards in a dead faint.

"Natsumi!" Miyuki scolded as she crossed over to her desk and picked up the phone.

"She wasn't going to stop, Miyuki" Natsumi offered in her defense. "It seemed the best way to shut her up at the time."

Miyuki looked at her partner and shook her head. She put the receiver to her ear and dialed a number. "Hello, Kyou? It's Miyuki. We're in the Traffic section squad room and someone just fainted. No, not any of our people. Could you get her down to the infirmary? Great! I have to get to the meeting but Natsumi and Saori will be here. What? You only need one?" She covered the mouthpiece and looked at the two policewomen. "Natsumi, I think you need to be at the meeting. Saori, I'll brief you on what you miss before you get there. I want you to stay with Chie."

Saori nodded. "No problem, Miyuki."

Miyuki uncovered the mouthpiece. "I've arranged for Saori to stay here until you come and pick up Chie. Yes, that Chie. She just found out that Yoriko's dead." Miyuki glared at Natsumi. Natsumi just shrugged her shoulders. Miyuki listened for a moment and replied "No, that was here looking for Yoriko before. Look, I have to run. I'll fill you in later." She hung up the phone.

Turning to Saori, Miyuki said "Just make sure she doesn't choke or anything like that, and _please_ make sure she gets to the infirmary!" With that, Miyuki strode out of the squad room headed for the cafeteria. Natsumi followed after her. Saori stood alone with an unconscious Chie right behind her.

Saori looked around and spied a cushion one of the other officers used to pad his chair. She went over and grabbed it, then came back to Chie and gently put it under her head. She could feel a goose egg rising on the spot where her head hit the floor. She knew it was going to hurt her when Chie woke up. Saori then went over to a supply locker and got a light blanket. She used this to cover Chie' body so she wouldn't lose heat since she appeared to be in shock. As she stood up, she heard the door open. Kyou walked in, pulling a stretcher behind her. Assisting her by pushing the stretcher was Honda. A slight smile crossed Saori's lips at the sight of Honda, and she could swear he returned the gesture.

"Now Honda, let's get the stretcher next to her first" Kyou instructed. "Then we'll lower it to make it easier to get her in." Honda nodded his understanding of the plan.

As they lowered the stretcher, Kyou said to Saori "Good job on getting the cushion and blanket to make her comfortable."

"Thank you, Nur-, um, I mean Kyou" Saori replied. "By the way, she fell backwards and I noticed she has a good sized bump on the back of her head."

"Was she stiff when she went down, or did she fold up?" Kyou asked.

Saori thought a moment. "It all happened so fast, but I'm sure I saw her knees buckle. She might have landed on her rear first before hitting her head."

"I'll give her a good check-out before I release her" Kyou said. She and Honda picked up the unconscious policewoman and placed her on the stretcher. Kyou then strapped her in and they moved for the door. "Stop by to check on her after the meeting, Saori" said Kyou.

"I will" Saori replied, feeling a touch of excitement that she would be able to see Honda again. She headed out the door following the stretcher and then continued on towards the cafeteria when they turned left to enter the infirmary. The whole way there Saori wondered if she suddenly felt attracted to Honda or if it was just curiosity.

Sakura found that once the echos of the recent disturbance died down all she could hear was the shuffling of undead feet on the sidewalk outside the gate. An occasional banging of the gate by one of _them_ as the ran into it only accentuated the near silence that came after. The more Sakura heard of that eerie sound, the more she dreaded it.

In the midst of this unending shuffling, Sakura thought she heard a voice. It couldn't be, she thought to herself-there was no one else near her but _them_ and they couldn't speak. Then she heard a voice that made her nearly jump out of her skin!

"Hello! Is anybody there at Bokuto Station?" the voice rang out.

Sakura jumped up from her chair and ran to the gate. She saw a middle aged woman across the street, waving and calling out for assistance. Sakura realized that the woman didn't know that she was attracting more than just her attention. She felt she should warn her but was worried that if she called out, _they_ would be drawn to the gate-then how would she get in?

Sakura began waving at the woman, trying to pantomime "Quiet Down" so she wouldn't make any more noise. The woman saw her, but she must have been nearsighted and without her glasses, for Sakura saw her squint as she called out, "I can't make out what you're doing. Do you want me to come over there?"

A group of about six walkers made a 45 degree turn from the direction they had been going as the woman yelled to Sakura. She saw that they were about 15 meters away from the woman, so she started to gesture furiously to get her to come to the gate.

"What's the matter, dear?" called out the woman. "Are you not able to speak?" As she said that, Sakura saw that the lead walker had closed the distance faster that she had thought possible and was only about seven meters away. She also saw another group of walkers approaching from the opposite direction.

Sakura became frantic. She started to key the mic on her radio but knew that no one could get to the gate quick enough to help the woman. Frozen with fear, Sakura just stood there as she saw the nearest walker close to within three meters of the woman. Finally she cried out "Watch out! Run!"

It was too little, too late. Sakura stood there in horror as the lead walker came up behind the woman on her left. She finally saw the undead being just as he grabbed her left bicep. She screamed "Help! What are you doing? Help me!" then let out a blood-curdling shriek as he tore into the flesh on her left arm.

Sakura couldn't believe what she was seeing. The sight was more horrific than any horror movie she had seen and the sound of the woman's cries as she was set upon by at least three other walkers was hear-wrenching-but not as much as the dead silence that followed. Sakura stood there frozen to the spot as the woman, now one of _them_, stood there as two other walkers gnawed on parts of her body. The others lost interest in her after a minute or so, as if they could sense that she had joined them. She started that same shuffling gait as the others, pieces of bloody flesh hanging off her arms.

Some walkers that were reacting to Sakura's warning shout banged into the gate and snapped her out of her shock-induced trance. She burst out sobbing and ran for the safety of the guard's position off to the right of the gate. Falling down on her knees, she collapsed in a heap and continued to cry. She didn't even hear the radio crackle to life as Takano called to her "Sakura, are you alright? What's going on out there? Sakura? SAKURA?"

The next thing Sakura knew, she had been picked up by Samejima like she was a child. Still sobbing, she clung to his shoulder as he carried her to the infirmary. As he did, he prayed that she would be alright-that she would not be so traumatized by whatever she had seen that she would never recover. He also wondered if this was to be the fate of them all.

Kyou was taking inventory of the supplies she had in one cabinet when she heard a noise behind her, coming from one of the curtained-off beds. She knew it was Chie finally coming to from her faint. Closing the cabinet door, she walked past her desk, placing the clipboard she was using on it as she passed. She got to the bed just as Chie sat bolt upright and moaned "Yoriko! Ow, my head!"

"You do have a nasty lump on the back of your head were you hit the floor, Sagamiono" Kyou told the policewoman. "I don't think anything's broken but I'll need to check to see if you have sustained a concussion."

"Nurse Okazaki, is what Tsujimoto said true?" Chie asked, her voice trembling, "Is Nikaido dead?"

"Look, Sagamiono, I think the best thing for you to do is..." Kyou started.

"_Please_, just answer my question" Chie begged.

Kyou sighed. "Officer Nikaido..." She stopped and sighed again. "...Yoriko was our first casualty of... of... of whatever this is."

Chie's eyes glistened with tears. "I can't believe she's gone" she whispered. "Do you know how?"

"She came upon one of them just as the waring to stay away from them was radioed to all cars" Kyou replied. "She had no clue of what she was walking into."

Chie dropped her head in her hands, her body shaking, then she sat upright again. "Is... is... is she... still..."

"No, she's not." Kyou said quietly. "She almost attacked Futaba and she had to shoot Yoriko. She was only in that state for a few seconds. Aoi even went out on her own and recovered Yoriko's body. She couldn't bear to leave her out there."

Tears streamed down her cheeks as Chie listened to the nurse's report. When Kyou finished, Chie said softly "I know I considered her a rival but I also felt she was a friend. I can't believe that I'll never see her again."

"We've all lost friends, neighbors and relatives today, I fear" Kyou said, trying not to think of those she would never see again. "If we're going to come out of this alive, we're going to have to put that away until we have the luxury of time to grieve."

"Ow, ow, ow, ow" Chie said suddenly, her right hand flying to the back of her head and the goose egg that was now throbbing. "Do you have anything for this headache?"

"Let me get you a pain pill and an ice pack" Kyou offered, snapping back into her nurse's role. "And then I want you to lay back down for a while until you feel better."

"Oh, I will, I will" Chie moaned as her head throbbed. "Right now, I don't think I could go anywhere."

Kyou went to the cabinet she had been inventorying, picked up a bottle of acetaminophen and shook out two tablets. She crossed over to the refrigerator, took out a small bottle of water and an ice pack from the freezer. She then returned to Chie's bed.

"Take this and lie back down, Chie" Kyou said. We'll see if you'll be able to help out in a few hours."

"What's being planned?" Chie asked.

"I don't know, but I can tell you that we've got good leadership here" Kyou replied. "Assistant Inspector Kinoshita is working with the Chief and Inspector Tokuno to make plans to get us through this crisis."

"Then I need to get back up and pitch in" Chie replied.

"Not until I say you can, though" Kyou reminded her.

As Kyou walked back from Chie's bed, Samejima came through the door carrying Sakura. She was quietly weeping and clinging to his neck. "Kyou, I don't know what happened. I found her like this out by the gate" he told her.

"Are you sure she's not been infected?" Kyou asked.

"I checked her over quickly and didn't find anything" Samejima said. "Besides, she was away from the gate, over where the gate guard has been staying. I think something might have happened outside that has traumatized her."

Kyou shook her head. "This is just going to get worse and worse" she said. "Would you please put her over in bed 8, Samejima? I'll get something to help her calm down." She walked to the cabinet again, picking up a vial from one shelf and a syringe from another. As she closed the door, she rested her head against it.

"Will this nightmare ever end?" she said to no one in particular.


	15. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

As Saori entered the cafeteria, she saw about thirty or more police officers sitting around waiting for the meeting to begin. Saori recognized the majority as her colleagues assigned to Bokuto, but the rest were unfamiliar, save for one or two from her precinct. She spotted Masumi Sahashi over in a corner and frowned. He was a first class troublemaker on a good day and she worried what he might do in this situation.

Saori spied Natsumi, Kenny and some of the other Traffic Section officers near the front of the group and went over to them. Natsumi said "Oh, you're here, Saori. I take it Chie's been taken to the infirmary?"

"Yes, senpai" Saori replied. "Kyou and Honda came and picked her up shortly after you left."

"That's good" Natsumi said, then looking around she continued "By the way, has anyone seen Aoi lately?"

"I saw her about twenty-five minutes ago in the locker room" Saori volunteered. "She was freshening herself up before going to talk to that Onodera down in the lock-up."

"What?" Natsumi exclaimed. "Why would she do that?'

"Atten-_shun_!" Inspector Tokuno's voice boomed out. The group of officers snapped to attention as the Chief, Inspector Tokuno and Assistant Inspector Kinoshita walked over to a podium at one end of the room. Kinoshita walked up to the podium first, while the Chief and Tokuno stood behind her. Standing off to one side was Miyuki. All had grim looks on their faces.

"For those of you who might not know me, I am Assistant Inspector Karouko Kinoshita" she started. I am the third-ranking officer present here at Bokuto Station. With me today are Inspector Tokuno, of the Bokuto Station CID and Chief Kachou, of the Bokuto Station Traffic Section. We have been in contact with MPD headquarters as much as humanly possible, given the dire nature of this situation. We have come to the point where we have been instructed to begin independent action to provide for the safety of the people now present at this station as well as any others who may be able to make it here. We are also beginning work on an evacuation plan should our situation here become... untenable." There was an audible murmur at Kinoshita's use of the word "untenable".

"The three of us" Kinoshita continued, indicating Tokuno, Kachou and herself, "have been in discussion of how we should organize the officers who are presently at Bokuto. We have to do this as Sumida Ward has been declared a Quarantine Zone. If you are from another station, you will not be able to return to that station for the foreseeable future." There were more murmurs from the assembled officers.

"At this time, Inspector Tokuno will give a background of what we presently know about the situation here in Tokyo, in the rest of Japan, and in the world." As Kinoshita turned to take up the position that Tokuno vacated as he approached the podium, she heard a few gasps that she knew came from her including "the world" in her last statement.

Inspector Tokuno took his place behind the podium. He looked more tired than any of the Bokuto officers could remember. "The information I'm going to present is sketchy, at best" he said. "Obviously, the majority of us have not been outside the walls of Bokuto Station since the crisis started. What we have is information passed on to us from Headquarters, the reports of the few eyewitnesses that have been out on the streets of Sumida and what news reports we have been able to catch on TV or the Internet." He looked at the sea of faces before him- as the color drained out of them they looked more and more like a black and white photograph. The only ones not shaken were Natsumi's rescue team-they had been there already and come back.

"What I'm about to tell you is not meant to frighten you but to give you as accurate a picture of what is going on outside of these walls." Tokuno drew a deep breath. "What we understand is that this situation is world wide. As far as we can tell, no country has been left untouched by this contagion, for lack of a better word." The gasps were numerous and much louder and at least one female officer began quietly sobbing.

"How this happened, where it started, why it has spread so far so fast, or who is responsible for this crisis-for now, no one has an answer. What we do know is that we have been instructed to do whatever we can to protect the survivors of this crisis. To enable us to do so, Inspector Kinoshita, the Chief and myself have come up with a reorganization of the forces here at Bokuto.

"Among the three of us, the Chief is the most senior and most experienced, therefore we have chosen him to be the commander. Inspector Kinoshita and I will share the duties as his second in command as well as being in charge of one section of forces. Natsumi Tsujimoto will be Inspector Kinoshita's second in command and Takashi Fujimura will fulfill the same role for me.

"Each of you here, as well as any officers who may make it here in the future, will be assigned to one of these sections. These sections will remain in effect as long as they are needed and until we are told to discontinue them by our superiors at Headquarters.

"We will be setting up duty rosters to ensure that all essential tasks will be covered at all times. Certain officers from the section on duty may be called on to perform special tasks inside or outside of the compound. Those who are currently qualified will be issued weapons as needed for the tasks assigned." With that, Tokuno turned and stepped back to his original position.

The Chief walked up to the podium. He cleared his throat and surveyed the room. Every officer was looking at him, waiting to hear what he was going to say.

"I know we have hit you with a great amount of information in a very short period of time. This is a fast moving crisis and information is changing from minute to minute, even second to second. To assist us in planning for the survival of everyone here at Bokuto, we have appointed Officer Kobayakawa as our chief aide and planner. She will be working on how we will maintain our security here and what we will be doing in the coming days. This could range from seeing an end to the crisis to conduction an evacuation from here to a place of safety. Please give her your complete co-operation and consider any orders from her as being from one of us."

"Wait a minute!" an officer near the back of the room exclaimed. It was Masumi Sahashi. "We've been cooped up here all morning and afternoon with no information and now you expect us to believe that the world has gone to hell in a handbasket but that we can make it out of here alive? Are you all joking? Why isn't someone from Headquarters here right now giving us these orders?"

As he spoke, some of the officers from other precincts started nodding and grumbling to each other. Kenny, Natsumi and Samejima started to work their way closer to Sahashi in an attempt to quiet him. Saori sat there, her face quickly reddening.

"Who are you? Identify yourself!" the Chief demanded.

"The name's Sahashi" was the terse reply.

Kinoshita turned to Miyuki, who quickly pulled his file out of the stack. Flipping it open, she whispered to the Inspector "He's not had any real disciplinary actions but he's also lacking in commendations." Karouko nodded, understanding the bullet review of the personnel file.

The Chief stared at Sahashi. "Ah, yes. I remember you" he said dismissively. He then continued. "Well, _Officer_ Sahashi, no one can come here from Headquarters because, at the present time, they are fighting off an invasion of infected people. It seems a few were let in among a group of refugees. Once they turned, there was panic and during that panic some doors were left wide open, allowing more of them in. I fear we may have lost a great deal of the Headquarters staff."

"And yet you think you will be able to survive where the top brass-the most experienced and knowledgeable police officers in Tokyo-have, according to you, failed?" Sahashi retorted.

Kinoshita started to move towards the back of the room but Miyuki stopped her. Silently, she pointed out the three officers easing their way around the malcontent. The Inspector nodded and stepped back.

"We have an advantage here at Bokuto" the Chief countered, growing more agitated. "We have an extremely defensible position and..."

Just then, Saori jumped up, wheeled around and screamed "Sahashi, I've had just about enough of your constant whining and complaining about everything! Why don't you just shut up and sit down!"

"Why don't you just shut yourself up and sit down, Miss 'Gung-ho By the Book'?"was the comeback from Sahashi. "What do you know about what's going on out there, anyway?"

Saori had crossed the distance from where she was sitting to where he stood, scattering people along the way. She stared up at him like a terrier up against a wolf. The Chief started to say something but Kinoshita stepped up and touched his arm to signal him to be quiet.

"I'll have you know I helped rescue four civilians not two hours ago" Saori growled, looking Sahashi dead in the eye. "I even bagged two of those creatures that almost got us-a clean head shot that took both of them out. We've done more in the last few hours than you've done in your whole sorry career."

"We? What 'We'?" he sneered back in her face.

"Miyuki, Natsumi, Kenny, Aoi and myself" she shot back, still staring him down.

"Futaba? That crossdressing fruitcake who killed her partner?" Sahashi spat out derisively.

Aoi had slipped in to the cafeteria just as Sahashi had started his tirade. When she heard his last remark, she screamed out "NO!", turned and ran back down the hall, sobbing.

"YOU BASTARD" Saori screamed in his face. "Aoi did not kill her partner-one of _them_ did! She had to stop her to save her own life! She felt so bad about it she went out there again and brought Yoriko back! Would you even have had the guts to do ANY of that?"

By now, Kenny and Samejima were on either side of Sahashi and Natsumi had wheeled around next to Saori. "OK, Mister Big Mouth-would you like to continue this outside?" Natsumi said, pounding her left palm with her right fist.

"ATTENTION!" Tokuno bellowed. All of the officers jumped to attention except Saori, who still faced her adversary, staring him in the face. Even Sahashi, startled by the booming male voice, stiffened.

"Sahashi, I've had enough of your insubordination" the Chief said in the now-quiet room. "I don't need your bad attitude infecting the whole group. Nakajima, Samejima-escort _Officer_ Sahashi to a holding cell for the time being. Let's let him cool off in there."

The two motorcycle officers grabbed Sahashi by either arm and roughly hauled him out of the room. Saori, still shaking with anger, stared him down all the way out the door. She continued to stare at the door, then all of a sudden she snapped out of it and turned to Natsumi. "Did I hear Aoi-senpai cry out a minute ago?" Natsumi just nodded.

Saori turned to run down the hall after her friend but stopped, remembering where she was. She turned to the front of the room with pleading eyes. The Chief saw her and nodded. Saori turned and bolted out of the room to find Aoi.

"Ladies and gentlemen" The Chief resumed. "Let this be an object lesson. We cannot... we will not tolerate insubordination. This may be the greatest crisis to engulf not just Tokyo but the world. I expect you all to act as members of the Metropolitan Police Force until the end-whatever it may be. We will post the squad rosters in ten minutes. Assignments will be posted in twenty. I expect everyone to follow the commands of those placed over you completely and without question. That is all." He turned away from the podium and headed for the door with Kinoshita, Tokuno and Miyuki following him in line.

Kenny and Samejima arrived at the detention cell block with Sahashi in tow. He had been struggling all the way from the cafeteria to the cell block, cursing and yelling at anyone that crossed their path. It had been quite a spectacle.

The two motorcycle officers drug the struggling malcontent into an open cell and deposited him on the floor. They stepped out of the cell, with Kenny swinging the door shut and Samejima going over to the guard's desk to get the keys to lock the door.

Screaming "You can't do this to ME!" Sahashi struggled to his feet then lunged at the cell door. Kenny blocked the door and even though Sahashi hit it with as much force as he could muster it barely budged.

"You're wrong, Sahashi" Samejima said as he locked the cell door. "We can and we have. You're going to stay put until the Chief says you can come out-and that won't be until you wise up and settle down." The two officers turned and walked out of the cell block.

Gendo had been laying on the bunk in his cell when the three men came in the block. He sat up at the commotion but didn't say a word until Nakajima and Samejima had left the block and the door thudded shut.

"So, what're you in for?" he said, trying to sound like one of those gangsters he'd seen in old American movies.

"Who the hell wants to know?" was the angry reply.

"Well, I thought that since we're going to be neighbors for awhile we should get to know each other" Gendo observed. A stream of curses was all that came back from the newcomer, along with clanging as Sahashi kicked at the cell door.

"Suit yourself" Gendo said as he shrugged his shoulders and laid back down on the bunk. After another five minutes of language Gendo hadn't heard since he was in prison, there came a "thud" as Sahashi threw himself on his bunk.

After about five minutes of silence, Sahashi spoke. "Sorry about that. I shouldn't be angry at you-we're in the same boat here. My name's Sahashi."

"So I gathered" Gendo replied. "My name is Onodera, and since you're the new guy, you may go first. What are you in for?"

"Insubordination" Sahashi said. "I questioned the way the Chief of this station is handling this crisis and he has me thrown in a cell."

Gendo sat up at that. "So you're a policeman?" he asked.

"Yes, I am" Sahashi affirmed. "Though I'm beginning to wonder if there even is a Metropolitan Police Department by now. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole of the government is collapsing even as we speak."

The two of them sat in silence contemplating the possibility.

"Well, now you know my indiscretion" Sahashi continued. "What are you in here for?"

Gendo thought for a minute. His "roommate" didn't seem to recognize his name and appeared to be a troublemaker. He decided it was wise not to volunteer too much information to him.

"I'm hoping it will all be seen as a big misunderstanding" Gendo started. "I was picked up for defending myself against _them_ with a pistol. The officer brought me in here and the Chief decided to put me in a cell until he could figure out what to do with me."

"Wonder which one of us he'll let out first" Sahashi mused.

"I think I may be closer to getting my freedom" Gendo speculated. "They've already been down to interview me. I think they aren't as worried about where I got the gun as they are happy to have an extra one now."

"Really? Which clown did the interview?" Sahashi shot back.

"The same one who brought me in-Officer Futaba" Gendo said, remembering how she looked when he saw her standing there in the doorway.

"That crossdressing fruitcake?" Sahashi snorted. "Friend, I wouldn't count on that freak getting you out anytime soon!"

Gendo scowled. "Officer Futaba didn't seem like a freak to me. She seems to be a capable and intelligent police officer."

"Well, then, _she's_ got you fooled but good" Sahashi said derisively, "for she's not a 'she', but a 'he'! I hope you're not falling in love with a skirt-wearing man."

"Love? Who said anything about love?"Gendo retorted, recoiling from the shock of Sahashi's bluntness.

"I just didn't want you to get any ideas" Sahashi said smugly. "Forewarned is forearmed."

Gendo was already getting tired of that smugness. He hoped he didn't have to stay down here too much longer. "Man, I am tired" he said. "I'm going to take a nap."

He laid down but he didn't sleep. Gendo tried to ignore Sahashi's words but they buzzed in his head. Deep inside, intellectually, he _knew_ that Aoi Futaba was a man. However, he also knew that Aoi was more of a woman than any other woman he had ever known. It didn't matter what gender she was. His greatest regret was how they had originally met. In fact, he felt that if he had met her earlier, he might not have gone down the path he did.

That his thinking was growing more illogical was not apparent to Gendo. He couldn't tell that he was building up a fantasy relationship in his mind. He was slowly convincing himself he was in love with Aoi, and he only hoped he could eventually earn her love.

Saori had an idea where Aoi would head after the shock of hearing Sahashi's diatribe. She headed right for the woman's locker room. There she found Aoi sprawled on the sofa, sobbing heavily.

Saori crossed over to her distraught senpai and knelt down next to her, putting her arm around her friend. She knelt there, saying nothing, letting her hug speak for her.

Aoi was reeling with doubt and grief. She walked in just in time to hear herself condemned as a murderess and a freak. The shock of that condemnation, delivered with such vitriol, pushed her over the edge. She knew, she just _knew_ that everyone secretly hated her, feared her, thought her sick. She wanted to die, to change places with Yoriko so that her partner would be living and she would be done with this life.

Slowly, she realized there was something laying across her shoulders. She lifted her head and saw Saori sitting on the floor next to her with her arm around her. Aoi heaved a sigh, took a deep breath and weakly smiled. "I should have known it would be you" she told Saori.

"Senpai, I was so worried when I found out you had heard that jerk's tirade" Saori replied softly. "I had a pretty good idea where you'd be. I just wanted to let you know we all still love you and believe in you."

Aoi sat up and shook her head. "I can't believe that."

"Aoi-senpai, you shouldn't pay that creep any attention" Saori said. "He is a major loser who gets in trouble all the time. He shouldn't even be a police officer. I don't know how he even got through the academy. He doesn't represent anyone but his own twisted, self-centered view."

Aoi held out her hand and helped Saori up. She sat next to her friend as Aoi reached for a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. "Are you sure, Saori-chan?" she asked.

"Absolutely" Saori replied. "Nobody else in that meeting agreed with him. He's a loner and a malcontent."

They sat there silent for a minute or two, then Saori asked "Oh, Aoi-senpai. How did it go with Onodera?"

Aoi's hand flew to her mouth. "I need to go talk to the Chief. I almost forgot all about that with the disruption." She sat for a minute with her eyes closed, thinking. She then looked at Saori and replied "I don't think he'll be a threat to us. I'm really worried that he's building up my rescue of him in his mind and starting to get infatuated with me."

"Wouldn't that help you keep him in line?"Saori inquired.

"Saori-chan" Aoi replied, "You're forgetting one thing."

Saori thought for a minute, then began to blush. "You don't mean..."

Aoi nodded. "I also think he is unstable and the events of the day could push him over the edge. I don't think we need to keep him locked up, but we'll still need to watch him closely."

Yuuka Endou walked into the locker room. "Saori, I'm looking for..." she started just as she spied Aoi.

Aoi looked up and asked "Is the Chief looking for me, Endou?"

Yuuka nodded and replied "He sent me to find Saori because he figured she'd know where you were. He's meeting with the Inspectors and wants you to come to Inspector Tokuno's office when you are ready."

Aoi stood up, walked over to the mirrors and inspected her face. "Tell him I'll be there as soon as I freshen up."

"OK, I will" Yuuka replied and headed back out to tell the Chief.

Still inspecting her face in the mirror, Aoi said to Saori "Looks like I did a lot of damage this time. Do you think you can work your magic once more, Saori-chan?"

"Let's get started!" Saori said emphatically as she headed for Aoi's locker. "I'll get the supplies."


	16. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The Chief walked into Inspector Tokuno's office, followed by Inspector Kinoshita, Inspector Tokuno and Miyuki. He went over to the couch in the corner, sat down and just about sprawled across the whole thing. Tokuno grabbed a chair from the table at the opposite corner of the office, spun it around and sat in it backwards, leaning on the back of the chair. Karouko sat down in Tokuno's chair behind the desk while Miyuki carried the stack of personnel files to the table and set them down. She then took another chair and sat down next to the desk.

"Now _that_ went well"the Chief said sarcastically, but with a smile on his face.

"Did you expect anything less?" Tokuno inquired.

"It wasn't that it happened" the Chief replied. "It's that we were on the verge of losing control of the group until Saga tore into him. I wonder where that came from?"

Miyuki leaned over to the stack of files and grabbed one from just below the top of the stack. She flipped it open and scanned the first page quickly. "I thought so" she said to the others. "Saori is assigned to the same station as Sahashi is. They work in different sections but I guess she's seen him enough to know what to expect."

"I'm just trying to figure out when she got so bold" the Chief mused. "She was a go-getter when she started at Bokuto, but she seems an entirely different person now."

"I'm glad she shut that loudmouth down" Tokuno said.

Kinoshita replied "I'm glad she did, too, but we have more pressing issues at the moment. Are the rosters ready to be posted?"

The Chief said "There's just one change to be made. Strike Sahashi's name off the roster."

"I can reprint the lists without his name" Miyuki volunteered.

"No, I want them to see his name crossed out" The Chief insisted. "I want them to think about what could happen if they get out of line."

"Are you sure you want to strike that kind of tone at this time?" Karouko asked.

"For today, yes" the Chief replied. "Our people don't need any warnings but we have too many outsiders here to go soft right now. We can ease up once we know everyone is working together."

"A red pen is OK?" Miyuki asked, her hand hovering over the list.

"That would be fine, Miyuki" the Chief replied.

Miyuki dew a straight line through Masumi Sahashi's name,on each sheet then stood up with the lists. "It's almost the time you said the rosters would be posted. Where should I put them?"

"The cafeteria, the squad rooms and by the bunk room" the Chief said. "If you can think of any other appropriate places to post them, feel free to do so, Miyuki. By the way, could you stop by the infirmary and let Nurse Okazaki know we're back from the meeting. We need to talk to her."

Miyuki nodded then walked over to the door and left the room.

"OK, now that we're getting that posted, what next on the agenda?" Tokuno asked.

"For now, food, shelter and medical supplies" the Chief replied. "If I recall right, you took the food situation, Tokuno, and you took the bedding availability, Karouko."

They both nodded, then Tokuno said "I conferred with the cafeteria staff. They feel that they have an adequate supply of food for the next five to six days for up to 60 people. That's more than we presently have sheltered here."

"And with our plans to evacuate as soon as we can identify a suitable location to evacuate to, that should be sufficient" Kachou observed. "Next, bedding and sleeping arrangements. Karouko?"

Kinoshita consulted a list. "We have 32 officers at this time, plus the three of us and Nurse Okazaki. For civilians, we have four workers from the cafeteria and two custodians, as well as ten others who have found refuge here. That's including the two children that Honda rescued and are, by now, most likely orphans."

"I can't remember right now" Tokuno interjected. "How many bunks in the bunk room?"

"There are eighteen bunks in the bunk room" Kinoshita continued. "Not nearly enough unless we do a day/night shift and hot bunk. That would also mean having both men and women sleeping in the same room."

"I don't want us going to that if at all possible" the Chief declared.

"I agree-it wouldn't be wise at all" Kinoshita concurred. "Luckily, I found a stash of futons in a closet off the kendo arena. Was this station set up as a shelter at one time?"

"Oh, yes, I remember now!" Tokuno said, snapping his fingers. "It was about two years ago. That big tsunami after the earthquake. They thought they would have a large number of refugees headed towards Tokyo so they equipped us to handle a group of them. Remember, Kachou? No one ever showed."

"Of course!" Kachou replied. "That 'closet' you're referring to was the kendo equipment storage room. It took us a week to get things rearranged enough to store all of those futons after that false alarm. I even tried to get Headquarters to take some or all of them back-but they wouldn't let me get rid of them. I guess we're lucky to have them now."

"So how are we going to do this?" Tokuno asked Kinoshita. "By my calculations, we have 18 female officers and 14 male officers to provider for. I guess we should let the ladies have the bunk room and put the men in the kendo arena."

"I think your numbers are a bit off, Tokuno" Kinoshita observed. "I get 17 female officers and 15 male officers."

"No, I'm pretty sure I counted right" Tokuno shot back.

"What I think Karouko is saying" the Chief interjected, "is that you may be counting Futaba in the wrong column. I know we all think of Aoi as a woman, but he's still a man, biologically speaking."

"I see" Tokuno replied. "I guess it would be awkward for all concerned to have Futaba sleep in the bunk room."

"I think Aoi would be uncomfortable with whichever group he was assigned to" Kinoshita said. "That's why I'm proposing he be allowed to have a private room-perhaps one of the detective offices."

"Karouko" the Chief said, "I would think it best if we let Aoi make that decision her... um, himself. She'll be here soon to report on Onodera. We can make the offer then."

Another thing," Kinoshita said, "I'm thinking that we should have our squad leaders close by. I'd like to have Tsujimoto and Fujimura assigned to rooms in the same area as where we'll be sleeping."

"Good idea, Karouko" agreed the Chief. "I'd also want Miyuki close by, too"

"Ah, about that" Tokuno said. The two other senior officers looked at him. "I'm going to need a substitute for Fujimura-at least for a few days. He just reported to the infirmary with bad stomach cramps. He thinks it might have been something he ate just before this whole mess started."

"Too bad" the Chief replied, then he reached for a copy of the roster. Looking at the list, he said "Do you want one of your guys or would Nakajima be OK with you?"

"I was thinking of Kenny myself" chuckled Tokuno. "Kenny has always been one of the better cops on your staff-Miyuki and Natsumi excepted. I'd have made him a detective long ago if he wasn't such a master of the motorcycle."

"I suspected as much" the Chief admitted. "Then Nakajima it is."

There was a knock on the door of the office.

"Come in" Kinoshita called out.

The door opened and Nurse Okazaki walked in, a clipboard in her hand. "Sorry I'm late, Chief. I had a new patient to attend to."

"Oh, no problem at all, Nurse Okazaki. Tokuno was telling me about it" the Chief replied. "Have you had time to complete your inventory?"

"Yes, I have" Kyou said. She referred to the clipboard. "I did a quick canvass of all the people here and an inventory of my supplies. We have a... situation."

A look of concern appeared on the Chief's face. "What's the problem?" he asked.

"We have over 50 people in the station at this time" Kyou began, "most of them are police officers but we have a significant number of civilians. There are no ongoing health concerns that I am aware of with our officers but among the civilians we have two people with diabetes and one with a heart condition. We need diabetic supplies-insulin, oral diabetes medications, syringes and a means for monitoring the blood glucose level in those people. We also need nitroglycerine tablets for the heart condition."

"How will we get them now?" Kinoshita asked.

"We will have to go get supplies from somewhere" Nurse Okazaki replied. "I contacted Bokuto General Hospital earlier but I fear that it is in too much chaos to be a reliable or safe source for any supplies."

"Why would the hospital be in chaos?" Tokuno wondered.

"Of course!" Kinoshita surmised. "Remember, Tokuno, I got sideswiped by someone apparently trying to get a bitten person to the hospital. Just imagine how many people _were_ able to get there before they died and came back as _them_."

A hush fell over the room as the enormity of Kinoshita's statement sunk into all of them. Visions of the dead attacking the very people trying to save them flew through their imaginations. The color drained out of the three officers' faces.

Kyou broke the silence. "There is a viable alternative, I think. I know of a pharmacy not too far away from here. It's not like those chain drug stores that are more like a convenience store. It's a fully-stocked medical supply store. I think we would be able to get what we need from there."

Thankful for the spell being broken, the Chief said "OK, we can do that. Make a list of the supplies you need and I'll send some officers over to..."

"No" Kyou said emphatically. "I must go along. While I've identified some of what we need, I know that I haven't allowed for everything. That's because I've never been in a situation like this before. I know that when I get there, I'll see things that we need that I can't think of just now. Therefore, I have to go along."

"Now, Kyou, I know you want to be as prepared as you can..." the Chief countered.

"I know what you're going to say, Kachou" Kyou replied. "I'm too valuable to risk going out there. Well, I say the risk of missing some important medications or supplies because I wasn't there to realize what we need is too great for me to _not_ go."

"Kachou, I think you're fighting a losing battle" Kinoshita observed. "I think if we send Natsumi and Saori out with Kyou she'll be as safe as she is standing right here."

The Chief mulled Kinoshita's word over for a minute. Looking at her, he said "I guess you're right, Karouko. Those two are our best team right now." Turning to Kyou, he continued "so you'll be going with the two of them. Will you need anyone else?"

Kyou thought a moment. "I could use some muscle to help load the vehicle as quickly as possible, which brings up the question-what should we use?"

"Would Tokuno's car do?" the Chief inquired?

"Everyone's using my car but me today!" Tokuno groused, but with a smile on his face.

"Don't worry, Tokuno, I won't need your car. I will need something that can carry more" Kyou chuckled. "But it's nice to see you all are keeping your sense of humor in the midst of all this."

"How about the traffic safety van?" Miyuki said, closing the door to the office.

"Good suggestion, Miyuki" the Chief replied. "Now, who to send with you?"

Kinoshita said "I have an idea. Sahashi seemed to think that things outside weren't as bad as we were making them out to be. Perhaps he needs a dose of reality?"

"We need someone we can rely on to work hard" the Chief countered, but your idea has merit, Karouko. Perhaps we can present it as a way for him to redeem himself."

"Is Sahashi the one I've heard about at the meeting?" Kyou asked.

"Yes, he is" the Chief confirmed. "At least, let's see if he's even interested in getting out of confinement." Turning to Miyuki, the Chief asked "I'm sorry to send you off again. I'm not trying to make you into an errand girl, but could you tell Tsujimoto and Saga to get Sahashi out of the holding cell and bring him here?"

"That's OK, Chi.. Kachou" Miyuki said reassuringly. "I'm the best choice for the task. I'm just wondering if you'll need me after that? I'm beginning to get hungry and I'd like to get a meal while things are quiet around here."

"By all means, do so, Miyuki" The Chief said. "Maybe you can catch up with Nakajima."

Miyuki broke out in a big grin. "Thanks, Kachou! If you need me, I'll be in the cafeteria." She turned and left the room.

Miyuki walked into the cafeteria and started looking around. She figured it would be the best place to find Natsumi. It only took a few seconds to confirm that supposition as she spotted Natsumi at a table across the room, chatting with Kenny and Samejima. She headed over to the table. As she drew near, Kenny looked up and broke out into a big grin. "So, they've given you a meal break, I see" he called out to Miyuki.

"I can eat once I take care of one task" Miyuki replied.

"What task is that?" Natsumi asked.

"Funny you should ask" Miyuki said. "The Chief asked me to find you. He wants you and Saori to take Nurse Okazaki on a medical supply run."

"Just the three of us?" Natsumi had a puzzled look on her face.

"No, first he wants you to bring Sahashi up to Tokuno's office" Miyuki continued. "They have decided that he needs a little 'immersion therapy' so he's going to accompany the three of you to assist in loading the traffic safety van."

"Oh, great!" Natsumi moaned. "Not only do I have to protect Kyou, I have to babysit a malcontent."

"Well, Saori will be with you-and I think we've seen that she can deal with Sahashi effectively" Miyuki offered. "Anyway, you need to get moving so you can get back before dark."

"What if Shouji calls?" Natsumi blurted out. "Or worse, what if he gets here and I'm not here to greet him?"

"He called you on your cell phone, didn't he?" Miyuki inquired. "I don't think the Chief would be against you taking it with you this time. It's not like it's a routine patrol. Besides, we should all carry our phones for back-up-that is, if the system can stand the load."

Kenny spoke up, "And Natsumi, remember it's about eight hours to the training base on a good day. We don't know what the roads are like between here and there."

"Way to make a girl feel reassured, Kenny" Natsumi grumbled.

"I'd do it but the Chief wants me to stay close to home" Miyuki said.

"OK, tell him I'm on my way" Natsumi replied dejectedly as she stood up to leave..

"He's already expecting you," Miyuki countered, "and I'm on my dinner break now."

"Well, enjoy it" Natsumi said as she headed for the cafeteria door.

"Kenny, could you sit with me for a while?" Miyuki asked, as she turned back to the table.

Samejima stood up and picked up his tray, along with the tray Natsumi forgot to clear from the table. "I'm going to run on, too" he said. "I want to stop in at the infirmary and check on Fujieda. I feel a bit responsible for what happened. I should have stayed with her for a bit-she seemed nervous when she came down." He headed off to return the trays.

"Have you eaten yet, Kenny?" Miyuki asked, sitting down opposite Nakajima.

"I have, but I'm not needed for anything right now so I would love to have another cup of tea" He replied, smiling.

"Let me get it for you, Kenny" said Miyuki as she jumped up and grabbed his tray. "The usual?"

Kenny nodded. "That'll be fine, Miyuki."

Miyuki moved quickly over to the tray return window and set Kenny's tray on the conveyor, grabbing his tea mug as the tray slid out of sight. She then went over to the serving line. When she smelled the food sitting in their serving pans, she suddenly realized she was starved-and her stomach confirmed her realization. Moving through the line, she loaded up her tray then went to the beverage station and poured two mugs of tea. She then made her way back to Kenny's table.

As she set the tray down, Kenny saw the pile of food on her plate and said "Wow, Miyuki! I don't think I've ever seen you take so much at one sitting!"

Miyuki looked down at her tray. "I just realized how hungry I was. I worked through lunch, after all." Her stomach growled in agreement.

"Oh, that's right" Kenny replied. "Say, do you think you could spare one of those sweet rolls?"

"I brought them for you, Kenny" Miyuki said with an impish grin. "I figured you wouldn't be able to watch me eat all of this otherwise."

"You know me too well, Miyuki" Kenny grinned as he removed the plate of rolls from her tray.

Kenny sat there as Miyuki tore into her plate of food. He sipped his tea and took a bite from a roll, a smile on his face. He thought that even when she was ravenously hungry, Miyuki was still the most beautiful person in the world.

Kenny's smile slowly faded, replaced with a sadness that Miyuki eventually noticed. She stopped and asked "What's wrong, Kenny? Is something bothering you... Are you worried about how much I'm eating?" she said, her voice quivering and a frown developing on her face. "I know I've never been like this before but I promise you that it's only because I missed lun..." Her voice trailed off as Kenny reached across the table and took her hand, his beautiful smile returning to his face.

"It's not you, Miyuki-chan" he said softly. "I was sitting here thinking of how wonderful it will be to see you across the table from me every day and it hit me just how much time I've wasted by being shy. That's time we can never get back. And now that I can be so open, look at the world we're facing... what sort of life will we have? What kind of world will we bring our children into?"

Miyuki's frown softened into a smile and she took Kenny hand with both of hers. "We'll bring them into a world we'll create for them. I don't know how, but we will. Don't have regrets, Kenny-kun. I don't. What's past is past. All we can do is make every day the best we can." Tears welled in her eyes.

"I just don't know why I've been so painfully shy around you, Miyuki-chan" Kenny went on. "I'm fearless when I'm on my bike and I'm facing some criminal, but I turn into a five year old with his first crush when I'm around you. I wish I was more like my Dad."

"Did you ever think you might be just like him-or more to the point, that he was just like you?" Miyuki asked lovingly. "You two are so alike-you come alive on your motorcycles. He just broke through his shyness and learned how to use that fearlessness in the rest of his life. I think you're beginning to make the same breakthrough."

Kenny sat there and let Miyuki's words sink in. He looked into her eyes and nodded. "Perhaps you're right. Perhaps I just needed a big enough push to open my eyes."

Miyuki gazed into his eyes and basked in the warmth of the love she felt radiating from them. She said softly "I love you, Kenny."

Kenny looked back at her as his heart swelled with pride and love. "I don't have a ring and this is definitely not the way I had always planned it to be, but I don't think the time has ever been more right. Miyuki Kobayakawa, will you marry me?"

Miyuki's eyes glistened as her smile spread even wider. Kenny could feel the warmth of her love for him was over him like a wave-no, more like a tsunami. She spoke.

"Kenichi Nakajima, I will marry you."

They both jumped in their seats as the crowd that had built around them cheered their congratulation. They looked about to see almost everyone there. Natsumi, Saori and aoi had come back from Tokuno's office to see the event-and they brought Inspectors Kinoshita and Tokuno and the Chief with them!

Miyuki and Kenny both turned bright red as they blushed, realizing their proposal had become an event. Amidst a sea of congratulations, slaps on the back for Kenny and hugs for Miyuki, they sat there stunned at the support of their friends and co-workers.

From the doorway, a voice rang out, "Did I miss the big event?" Daimaru strode through the door with Sena by her side, his chest puffed out with pride. Samejima was just behind them.

Kenny sprung up with tears of joy in his eyes and yelled, "She said yes, Dad!"

Crossing over to the table, Daimaru gave his son a big bear hug then went to Miyuki and planted a big kiss on her cheek. "Welcome to the family, Miyuki!" he proclaimed.

Nonplussed, Miyuki stammered out, "But, but, but... we're not married yet!"

"Don't worry-we'll fix that" Sena replied, beaming.

"This is the best news I've had all year" the Chief said as he put his hands on Kenny's and Miyuki's shoulders, "and is so welcome at a time like this." Turning to the crowd, he continued "However, we are nowhere near being out of the woods yet, so let's prepare for whatever may happen." Turning back to the couple, he said, "With an attitude like yours, I know we'll get through this crisis and get to a better world."

The crowd began to break up as Miyuki and Kenny sat back down, acknowledging all the congratulations they were receiving. While a semblance of normalcy returned to the cafeteria, Miyuki looked at her now-fiancee and asked, "Well, when should we get married?"

"I think the sooner the better" Kenny replied.

"We'll have to talk to the Chief. Perhaps we can do it tomorrow morning" Miyuki mused.

"I'd like that" Kenny agreed.

Natsumi heard Miyuki say "Kenny, could you sit with me for a while?" as she walked away from the table. She suspected from that and the way Nakajima was talking before Miyuki arrived that something big was about to happen. She stopped just outside the cafeteria doors and waited for Samejima. As soon as he walked through the doors, she stuck her hand out and stopped him as he passed by. "What is it, Tsujimoto?" he asked.

"Samejima, I think it's about to happen" Natsumi said, chortling with glee. "I need you to go get Daimaru and Sena. I'll get the Chief."

"What's about to happen?" Samejima inquired, puzzled.

"Miyuki, Kenny, the whole situation... You do the math!" Natsumi replied.

"Huh? Do you mean?" Samejima said, confused. All of a sudden a light went on. "Oh! Oh my! Sure I will! Where should they be?"

"Try the day lounge" Natsumi called back as she began to run down the hallway. She ran all the way to Inspector Tokuno's office, knocked on the door and then burst in before anyone had a chance to respond to the knock. She stood there, breathing heavily as she leaned against the door jamb. "You... You... You've got to come..."

"Tsujimoto, what's the meaning of this?" the Chief growled.

"I think Kenny's about to propose to Miyuki!" Natsumi replied.

"What? Where? When?" the Chief shot back, breaking out into a big grin.

"The cafeteria-and it could be any minute now-HURRY!" she cried out as she pushed off the door jamb and took off back up the hallway.

"Come on, Tokuno, we can't afford to miss this!" The Chief said as he jumped up from the couch and crossed over to the door. Tokuno was already rising from his chair.

"Right behind you!" he said. Turning to Inspector Kinoshita, he asked "Are you coming, Karouko?"

"What's the big rush?" Karouko asked, a bit confused.

"This is the payoff for the longest romance Bokuto has ever seen" Tokuno replied.

Kinoshita broke into a smile as she dropped the file she was reading on the desk. "Let's go!"

The three of them walked rapidly down the hallway towards the cafeteria, moving just a bit slower than Natsumi. As they came to the stairs, they ran into Aoi and Saori.

"What's going on?" Aoi inquired.

"Kenny's about to pop the question!" said Tokuno as he hurried by. "Come on!"

The two policewomen fell in line behind the three commanders. They all just about collided into Natsumi, who had stopped at the cafeteria door with her right hand raised in the hand gesture for "hold position." She was peeking inside. "Shhhh!" she whispered. "Miyuki's about to sit down with her tray. Give them a few minutes and we'll be able to sneak in without their noticing us."

The six of them stood in silence just outside the cafeteria door for about two minutes. Then Natsumi motioned for the group to quietly move into the room. As they came in, a number of the Bokuto personnel saw them and tried to figure out what was happening. When they looked in the direction that Natsumi was looking, they realized what was about to happen and quietly got up to move in closer to the big scene.

Miyuki and Kenny were, by now, looking into each other's eyes and couldn't see anything but each other. The crowd formed around the two at about a four meter distance-close enough to hear but far enough away to not intrude-at least just yet. And then it happened...

"I don't have a ring and this is definitely not the way I had always planned it to be, but I don't think the time has ever been more right. Miyuki Kobayakawa, will you marry me?"

"Kenichi Nakajima, I will marry you."

The crowd let out a chorus of cheers, whoops, cries of "Way to go, Kenny!" and "Congratulations, Miyuki!" and even some whistles. The pair nearly jumped out of their skin at the noise, then turned bright red as the well wishes continued. Then they heard the booming voice of Daimaru asking "Did I miss the big event?" as he and Sena came into the cafeteria escorted by Samejima.

The celebration continued on for about ten minutes, then the Chief said, "This is the best news I've had all year and is so welcome at a time like this." Turning to the crowd, he continued "However, we are nowhere near being out of the woods yet, so let's prepare for whatever may happen." Turning back to the couple, he said, "With an attitude like yours, I know we'll get through this crisis and get to a better world."

He then moved towards the door, saying as he went, "Natsumi, Saori and Aoi, come with us. We have things to do." The three policewomen followed the three commanders out of the cafeteria.

_(Please join in the discussion of Bokuto Precinct of the DEAD in the Forums-Anime/Manga-You're Under Arrest! section.)  
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	17. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

As the six of them walked down the corridor, The Chief motioned for Natsumi to walk beside him. "Did Miyuki tell you why I wanted to talk to you?"

"She said Saori and I are to take Kyou to a pharmacy to pick up medical supplies" Natsumi replied, "and that we're to use Sahashi for heavy lifting."

"That's right" The Chief confirmed. "I'm thinking that Sahashi just hasn't seen what's going on out there. I'm hoping he'll change his tune then."

"Scared Straight, eh, Chief?" Natsumi mused. "I think we can provide the right _motivation_." Looking back at Saori, she said, "Saori, come with me. We're going to give your friend Sahashi a bit or reality therapy. I'll brief you on the way down."

"OK, whatever" Saori replied. "Lead on, Natsumi-senpai." The two of them headed off to the holding cells.

The rest of them waled in silence to the office. Once in, the Chief took the desk, Kinoshita sat at the table and Tokuno sat on the couch. Aoi stood at attention in front of the desk. She started to report "Officer Futaba..."

"That won't be necessary, Aoi" the Chief said. "Please relax. This is not a formal report. We just wanted your opinion as to whether Onodera would be a danger to the station if he was released."

"Then would you mind if I sat down?" Aoi inquired. "It's been a long, stressful day for me."

"Of course, Aoi" the Chief replied. "In fact, why don't we all sit at the table. Tokuno?"

"And I was just getting comfortable" Tokuno stated as he crossed over to the chair he had sat in earlier and moved it back to the table. Aoi took the seat to Kinoshita's left while the Chief sat across from Aoi and Tokuno sat at her left.

"So, having talked to him and knowing him from your Chuo Rapist investigation, how would you gauge Gendo Onodera" the Chief asked. "My inclination is to leave him in the cell for now."

Aoi sat and thought over the question for a minute or two. "I'm very familiar with Onodera-his character, his demeanor and his predilections. He's a vain, self-involved and domineering man." Aoi told her three superiors. "However, I saw nothing of that in the Onodera I interviewed in the holding cell. The person I talked with was humble and grateful for my saving him. My only concern is that he might be romanticizing the rescue. I am concerned about this because we did have a history. I worked for months to build his interest in me to where he would make his move. I don't think he'd do that now."

"So, in your opinion, is Onodera safe to be allowed out of his cell?" Kinoshita asked.

"Remember, I'm not a forensic psychologist" Aoi cautioned her superiors. "However, I would be comfortable with him being free if we could find a way for everyone to recognize him on sight, in case something should go wrong."

"You mean like those orange jumpsuits that we use for transporting prisoners?" Tokuno asked.

Aoi thought a moment. "If he understood that the outfit was a condition of his release I don't think he would mind" she offered.

"Thank you, Aoi" the Chief said. "We will make the necessary preparations and release him later this evening. I'll assign an officer to make spot checks on him. Don't worry, it won't be you-I don't know how he would react to that."

"Understood, Chief" Aoi replied. She stood up and pushed back her chair to leave, then stopped. "One more thing" she added, "make sure everyone who is carrying weapons knows to keep positive control of the at all times. He's frankly a lousy shot, from what I saw, but if something was to happen and he got hold of a gun..."

"Point well taken, Aoi" Kinoshita said. "I'll make sure to get that to all armed officers."

The Chief said "You're dismissed, Aoi. I don't mean to hurry you out, but officers Tsujimoto and Saga are bringing Sahashi here any time now."

"Oh? Have you decided what to do with him?" Aoi inquired.

"We've decided that. Since he hasn't had an 'opportunity' to experience conditions out on the street, he's going to accompany Tsujimoto, Saga and Nurse Okazaki to acquire whatever medical supplies Okazaki may deem necessary. We're hoping that seeing what is actually going on out there will wake him up and set him straight."

So Sahashi is to go out with Natsumi and Saori?" Aoi mused. "I'll bet Natsumi will insist on driving. If that's the case, I wonder what will be more frightening-the walkers..."

Tokuno chimed in "or Natsumi's driving?" All four officers broke up laughing at the thought. The Chief noticed that Karouko was laughing just as hard and said "I didn't think you'd get that one, Karouko."

She replied "You forget, I had her under my command for a time. Why didn't you warn me about her driving skills?"

"What skills?" Tokuno blurted out, still laughing.

"Exactly!" Karouko shot back with a big smile.

Aoi crossed over to the door, turned back and said to her three superiors "I'm glad to see that the indomitable Bokuto spirit is alive and well despite what we've been facing." Then she left.

Wiping a tear from his eye, Kachou asked Tokuno "Do you know where the orange jumpsuits are stored now? I remember the last time we had to ready a prisoner for transport, it took us two hours to locate one."

"No, but Kirishima should know" Tokuno replied. "He was the one who ended up finding it the last time. If you don't need me for Sahashi, I'll go look up Kirishima and get him to looking."

"Thank you, Tokuno" the Chief said, sitting back in his chair. "The sooner we can empty those cells, the sooner we can free up one more person for other duties." Tokuno waved at Kachou as he walked out the door to find his detective.

The only ones in the room were Kinoshita and the Chief. He looked at her and said "I know this might sound crazy, but I'd like your view. How have things been going so far, in your eyes? Are we doing what is necessary to help the people here?"

Kinoshita thought for a minute. "I can't see any major miss-steps that could have been avoided" she finally replied. "We probably should have held the muster an hour or two earlier, but with the general confusion and the situation Aoi presented us with, I think the delay may have been unavoidable." She stopped and stared at Kachou for a minute. "That's uncharacteristic of you, Kachou" she observed. "You're usually more assured."

"I know, Karouko" Kachou confided in her. "I'm usually just barking out orders and either making or evaluating the plans others make, but this has been such a strange day-I think the American term for it is an 'E-ticket ride'-it's got me worried I might be overlooking something."

As he talked, Karouko stood up and walked around behind him. She put her hands on his shoulders and noticed the muscles were like steel cables under tension. She started massaging Kachou's shoulders and neck, saying as she did "You're doing a fine job, Kachou. Your people look up to you, and it's beginning to rub off on the officers from other stations. We have to accept that in a crisis of this magnitude, we cannot save all the people. We need to concentrate on keeping those who have made it here, and any who might still do so, as safe as possible until we can see a conclusion."

Karouko leaned down by his right ear and whispered "As for me, of all of Japan, this is the only place I'd want to be in a crisis like this-at your side." She leaned over some more as Kachou leaned back and turned his head to face her. They kissed-not a friendly peck on the lips, but a hard, hungry kiss full of heat. Kachou brought his right hand up and cradled Karouko's head, holding her mouth on his as they felt the passion rising.

There was a knock on the door. Kachou dropped his arm and Karouko shot upright, smoothing out her blouse. She moved rapidly back to her seat at Kachou's right. Both of them were a bit red-cheeked.

"Come in" Kachou ordered.

The door opened and Sahashi shot in like he had been loaded into a cannon. Natsumi was right behind him and Saori was just a step behind her. Both women had their weapons slung over their shoulders. "Officer Sahashi, as you ordered" Natsumi said with a bit of irritation in her voice.

"You're probably wondering why we wanted to see you so soon after incarcerating you" the Chief said.

"The thought had crossed my mind" Sahashi replied sarcastically.

"We've decided to give you a chance to redeem yourself, Officer Sahashi" the Chief continued, ignoring the other officer's tone of voice. "There is an important task that needs to be done and we believe you're the man to do it."

"I've got to prove myself?" Sahashi shot back haughtily.

"Well, we look at it as more of letting you get some first-hand experience of the situation in Sumida ward, Sahashi" Kinoshita said dryly.

"So you finally see my worth!" Sahashi said, puffing up with pride. "What is it? A rescue mission? An escort?"

Ignoring his pomposity, the Chief stated in a flat tone "You will accompany Nurse Okazaki and Officers Tsujimoto and Saga to obtain needed medical supplies."

"Does that mean I get a gun?" he asked, his eyes lighting up.

"No, Tsujimoto and Saga will provide protection. You'll be helping Nurse Okazaki carry supplies out to the van. Correct that-you will carry the supplies out to the van. Nurse Okazaki will take inventory and search out the supplies she needs."

Sahashi's face fell. "You mean I'm just a coolie?" he said incredulously.

"That's about it" Natsumi said from behind him.

""What I I refuse?" Sahashi shot back, angry and humiliated.

The Chief sat back in his chair. "Then I guess I'll just have to have your two lovely companions escort you off the premises."

"You wouldn't!" Sahashi cried out.

"He may not, but I certainly would" Saori growled.

Red-faced and upset, Sahashi finally admitted "You hold all the cards, Chief."

"Don't you forget it" Kachou hissed.

Nurse Okazaki walked in the office just then. "Are we about ready to..." she asked, trailing off as she felt the tension in the room.

"You four better leave soon" Karouko said flatly. "You're running out of daylight."

"Let's go, Sahashi" Natsumi ordered as she grabbed his right arm with her left hand. He shook her off and turned around, striding out of the office with the three women following behind. Kyou closed the door.

"I certainly hope my 'Scared Straight' plan works" Kachou said, staring at the closed door.

"The girls will keep him in line" Karouko observed, "or Kyou will be doing some battlefield wound dressing."

Kachou sighed. "You want some tea, Karouko?" he asked.

"I'd love some" she replied.

Samejima opened the door to the infirmary expecting to see Nurse Okazaki at her desk. Instead, he saw a man he felt he should recognize sitting there, reading a book. He walked in and crossed over to the desk, then said in a quiet voice "Is Nurse Okazaki here?"

Honda looked up from the book he was reading and looked at the officer who just came in. It took him a moment, but he remembered Samejima as the man who brought in that policewoman, Fujieda. "She's gone with Tsujimoto and Saga to obtain more medical supplies" he informed Samejima. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Um, well, yes, there is" Samejima replied. "Do you know anything about Officer Fujieda? I brought her in here very shook up a while back."

"She's still resting comfortably" Honda told the concerned officer. "I don't think she's awakened since you brought her in here-it's Samejima, right?"

"Yes. Teizou Samejima. And you are again?" he asked.

"Toshiro Honda" he said as he stood up and extended his hand. "I'm Daimaru's mechanic at Zapper."

Samejima grabbed his hand and shook it. "Oh, that's where I've seen you before! I'm one of Kenny's fellow motorcycle officers. In fact, I think you worked on my personal bike about six or seven months ago."

"Oh, that's right!" Honda exclaimed. "You have that black Suzuki Hayabusa-the 2007 model. It had a rear suspension problem I took care of. How has it been running?"

"It's been running good" Samejima replied. He stopped and looked a bit wistful. "I wonder if I'll ever have a chance to ride it again?" The two men stood there in silence, each lost in their thoughts for a few minutes, until they heard a sound from a curtained-off bed at the other side of the room.

"Fujieda!" they both said at the same time, just as she let out a piercing scream. Both men ran to her bedside. The policewoman was curled up in a fetal position, her eyes closed as she hugged her pillow. She was rocking back and forth and sobbing.

"Kyou left me some sedatives and instructed me on how to inject it" Honda told Samejima. "You see if you can calm her down-I'll get the syringe, just in case." He ran off to one of the storage cabinets behind Kyou's desk.

Samejima wasn't sure what to do, so he went over to the bed, leaned down and wrapped his arms around Sakura. He started talking softly to her, saying "You're all right now. You're safe. You're here with me and I'll protect you. You don't have to be afraid any more, Sakura." He rocked her and stroked her hair as he spoke soothingly to her. Fujieda's sobs diminished as she heard his familiar voice whispering in her ear. She unwrapped her arms from around her legs and embraced Samejima. Soon her eyes opened and she tried to focus on his face. She was still woozy and couldn't quite make him out-but she knew the voice.

"Oh, Samejima, I'm sorry" she said. "I wanted to help, I didn't want to just hide in the building, but it was horrible, horrible!" Tears started to flow again.

"Shh., shh, shh, Sakura" Teizou replied, still hugging the distraught policewoman. "Don't put yourself through that again. Just let it go for now."

"Every time I close my eyes, I see her again" Sakura said, her voice shaky and cracking. "She never had a chance."

"Sakura, Sakura... I'm so sorry for leaving you there alone" Teizou confessed to Fujieda. "You weren't ready to be left alone out there."

Sakura sat upright at that. She drew in a deep breath and looked Teizou in the eye. "How can I be a good officer if I can't handle ten minutes at the gate?" Her lower lip began to tremble.

Teizou sat on the bed and took Sakura's hand. "I know you're terrified. We all are. We don't know where this came from, how it happened or when it will stop. I know you want to be strong, but we all have our limits. I'm worried that you pushed yours too much."

"Samejima..." Sakura began. Teizou laid his right index finger on her lips. She stopped talking.

"Please, call me Teizou" he said, smiling at her. His smile was like warm sunshine falling on Sakura's face. He could feel her whole body relax.

"Tei... Teizou..." she resumed, stammering just a bit, "thank you for caring so much for me." She leaned forward and nestled on his chest with her arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her.

Honda walked up with the syringe and the preparations needed to give Fujieda but saw that Samejima had calmed the young woman down. He turned around wordlessly and went back to the cabinet to put the syringe back in storage, smiling as he went.

Sakura and Teizou embraced for many minutes. From time to time, Sakura would shudder as more of her body relaxed, or as a jolt of adrenalin coursed through her body. Teizou would stroke her cheek, smooth her hair and whisper into her ear. Finally, Sakura's eyelids started to droop.

"Sakura, please lay down and rest some more." Teizou said. "Kyou will be back soon and she'll make sure you're recovered." He got up and started to leave her bedside. Sakura's hand shot out and grabbed Teizou's wrist. "Don't go" was all she said.

Removing her hand from his wrist, Teizou said "I'll be right back." Sakura almost panicked then, until she saw him walk over to the opposite bed and pick up a chair that was sitting next to it. He brought it back and set it down facing her. He then sat down and took her hand in his. "You be a good girl and get some rest. I'll be here to protect you." Sakura closed her eyes, a smile on her lips. "Thank you, Teizou-kun" she whispered.

Honda returned to the two. "I'm going to check on my daughter and her friends. Sena took them to watch over them an hour ago. Can you stay here for now?"

"No problem" was the reply.

Soon, Sakura was asleep with a smile on her face She was breathing normally and her body had relaxed. Teizou slipped his hand away from Sakura's and sat back in his chair. He gazed at the young woman. A line from an American action thriller came to mind. It was Speed, and Teizou could hear Sandra Bullock's character telling Keanu Reeves "you know, relationships that start under intense circumstances, they never last." He shook his head. We don't even have a 'relationship', he thought. However, if we ever get out of this...

Natsumi, Saori, Kyou and Sahashi walked out of the building and headed over to the station's traffic safety van, a black and white Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear. Natsumi was briefing the others on the mission as they walked.

"Saga and I will be on guard duty the entire time..." she was saying, when Sahashi interrupted her.

"'Guard duty'?" he loudly protested. "What? Do you think I'm going to run away?"

Natsumi wheeled around, grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him right up to her. Their noses almost touched. Staring intently into his eyes, she growled "You still don't get it, do you? People are dying all over Tokyo... All over Japan... from being bitten by one of _them_. We're guarding your sorry ass against _them_, though if you got bit, I think you'd be the only one of them too lazy to infect anyone else!" Then she shoved him back.

Sahashi nearly stumbled but regained his balance and dusted himself off. He was furious and shouted back "I'll have you up on charges when this is over! I have Saga and the nurse as witnesses!"

This time, Saori spun around. She was taking her first step towards Sahashi when Kyou stopped her and shook her head. "Alright, if you think you can make a difference..." Saori grumbled and turned back towards the van. Kyou walked up to Sahashi and calmly told him "From what little I've seen and all I've heard, I'm afraid this may _never_ be over." She then turned back to catch up to the two other women.

Sahashi stood there, stunned by Kyou's almost matter of fact pronouncement of the possible end of the world as he knew it. As her words echoed in his ears, sweat beads broke out on his forehead as fear began to seize him. She had no need to lie or exaggerate, he thought. What was he to do?

"GET OVER HERE!" Natsumi yelled at Sahashi. She and the other two women were standing at the rear of the van, staring at something. As he approached the van, he saw what had commanded their attention-the rear of the van was full of boxes of pamphlets, traffic cones, rolls of police tape and even a barricade (broken down into its components). "We need to clean this out before we can leave' she said.

"You expect me to move all of this crap while you stand around?" Sahashi retorted.

Natsumi snapped. "DO YOU SEE ANY OF _THEM_ IN THE COMPOUND, ASSHOLE?" she screamed right in his face. She then turned around and grabbed the two leg sections of the barricade. Crossing over a grassy patch, she threw the legs by the back wall. She said to the other three, "Come on, just dump this stuff over there by the wall. I don't think we'll be needing it again anytime soon." Saori and Kyou grabbed a couple of boxes and started toting them to the impromptu dump site. Sahashi was seething but he wasn't going to let the 'girls' show him up. He grabbed the stack of traffic cones and lifted them up... or at least he tried to. He felt a pain in his back as he stood up to carry the cones so he cried out "My back! My back!"

Saori looked at him, shook her head and muttered "pitiful." She walked over to the cones, crouched down and lifted the stack as she stood up. "Don't use your back to pick up heavy loads, use your legs" she admonished the now red-faced male as she turned around with her load. She headed for the pile quickly rising behind the van.

Sahashi grumbled something unintelligible and picked up a half-empty box-but he used his legs. Tossing the box onto the pile, he went back to the van and picked up another box. This one was full, but he had the hang of it now and easily transported his load to its dumping place. Returning to the van, he saw that it was now empty and Kyou was closing the liftgate as Natsumi climbed in the driver's seat and Saori got into the passenger's seat. He followed Kyou around to the open side door. Kyou started to enter the van, but Natsumi said, "No, Kyou. Let Sahashi in first."

Kyou stepped back and gestured to Sahashi to get in. Grumbling "What do you think I'm going to do, jump out at the first opportunity?" Sahashi climbed in and sat behind Saori. Kyou then climbed in and slid the door shut. Natsumi started the engine, checked the fuel gauge and put the shift lever in "D".

Kyou leaned over to Sahashi and warned him "You really ought to put your seat belt on" as Natsumi peeled out of the parking space, raced down the lane and careened around the corner of the building. Sahashi almost landed in Kyou's lap face first. He quickly sat back up and lunged for the seat belt strap, snapping it in the buckle just before Natsumi took the second corner with the van leaning like a motorcycle in a long sweeping curve.

"Senpai, the tires will squeal!" Saori suddenly blurted out. Natsumi realized what Saori meant and smoothly brought the van to a quiet stop just before the driveway turned towards the gate out front. "Which way are we going, Kyou?" she asked as she rolled down the driver's window down to speak to the officer manning the gate. It was Shiisuke Neganebashi. He looked at the four officers in the van and asked "Where are all of you going in such a hurry?"

Just then, his radio crackled to life. "Neganebashi, the is Kobayakawa" he heard in his ear. "Tsujimoto and three others should be approaching the gate about now. They are on an important mission to retrieve medical supplies. Let them through the gate. Nakajima and Sugihara should be there by now to prevent any unwarranted intrusions." As she said that, the two officers came running down the front steps. Kenny still had his HK USP and Sugihara had the MP5. They took up positions on either side of the gate- Kenny to the left, Sugihara to the right-with their guns at the ready.

Neganebashi ran back to where the gate controller lay on the chair at the guard's position and signaled that he was ready. Kenny and Sugihara scanned the sidewalk and street on either side of the entrance. Sugihara's side was clear, but Kenny saw one of _them_ not three meters from the gate. He took careful aim and shot. He hit the walker in the left eye and it went straight down. He signaled Neganebashi, who hit the "OPEN" button on the controller.

Natsumi crept up to the gate as it slid back. She timed it perfectly so that just as the gap was wide enough for the van she floored the accelerator and was through it like a shot. She made a quick turn right, avoiding the burnt-out hulk of Honda's car. Kenny signaled again and the gate slid back Kenny watched the van fly down the street and said quietly "Good luck, Natsumi."

Natsumi slowed down to a reasonable speed and looked in the mirror. "Which way do we go, Kyou?" she asked.

"Let's try turning left onto Keiyo Road, then go west until we get to Mitsumi Don." Kyou replied. "Turn right there and go north until we get to Kurame-hashi Don. When we pass there, it's almost three blocks north on the left. The street address is 3F-385. If we get to Kasuga Don, we've passed it."

"Coming up on Keiyo Road, senpai" Saori warned. Natsumi turned left and drove about two blocks, until she got to the Yotsumi Don intersection. She slammed on the brakes there.

The four officers in the van were looking at a bizarre sight. There were dozens... no, scores of walkers all milling around in the street just outside Kinshico Station. No cars were moving, no live people could be seen-just the undead wandering about aimlessly.

"What is that?" Sahashi cried out.

"That, my dear know-it-all Sahashi, is what we are up against. That is _Them_" said Saori.

Sahashi's head started swiveling around. On almost every side the only movement that could be seen was the aimless shuffling of the walkers. There was no sound other than the mechanical ones from the traffic signals that were ignored by the sightless beings, the shuffling of their feet and the ticking of the van's motor. He began to smell a slight trace of a sweet but sickening odor-the odor of decomposition. He heard a "thud" off to his left and his head snapped around to see the source of the noise. A walker had either made it up to the roof of a building or somehow fell through an open window and plummeted to her second death. Sahashi began to sob quietly.

Kyou was also shocked by the sheer number of victims of the contagion. She tried to calculate what sort of mathematical progression the apparent disease was taken but she could not come up with an answer. "We're doomed" she said in a low voice.

Saori and Natsumi were also looking all around, but in their case it was in an attempt to find a path of retreat. Finally, Natsumi said "F*** it, there are no more traffic laws" and made a quick U-turn, going back down the other side of Keiyo Road. "Any other suggestions, Kyou?" she asked as she scanned side streets looking for another way north.

Natsumi's question snapped Kyou out of her shock. "Where are we now?" she asked Natsumi.

"We just passed the turn-off to the station-WATCH OUT!" Saori cried out as the van flew east. Natsumi slammed on the brakes again and skidded to a stop just a few feet away from a truck that was just sitting in the middle of the road. Natsumi slumped back into the driver's seat.

"I am so sorry, guys" she said, her voice shaking.

"I... I... think that the road past the station was clear-at least not as packed as that other road" Sahashi said in a voice that was cracking.

"Yes, that would do it!" Kyou said. We could get on the Metropolitan Expressway 7 and..."

"Wind up in Chiyoda-or worse" Natsumi said. Then she hit her fist on the steering wheel. "Think, Natsumi, think. What's the best way to get to Mitsumi?"

""Isn't there a surface street just before the expressway that goes clear through to Mitsumi? Saori asked.

"You're right, Saori" Sahashi answered. "I have an aunt who lives in that street just to the west of Mitsumi..." A look of horror formed on his face. "Aunt Naoko... NOOOOOO!" he screamed.

Natsumi looked around quickly. No walkers were nearby and none that she saw seemed to have heard Sahashi scream. She threw the van in "PARK", Reached back to grab Sahashi's shirt and shake him. "Snap out of it, Sahashi" she demanded. "We've all lost loved ones today! The only thing we can do now is to help those who are still alive!"

"You're heartless, Tsujimoto! Heartless!" Sahashi shot back, tears streaming down his face.

"No, she's right" said Kyou firmly. "There will be time for grieving later. This is out time to fight for our lives." Sahashi put his head in his hands and continued to weep.

Natsumi threw the van in reverse and backed up to the street in front of Bokuto Station, then turned right onto it and zoomed past the gate. Kenny and Sugihara were still at the gate, chatting with Neganebashi when the saw the traffic safety van zoom by going the opposite way to what it had started. "What is Natsumi doing?" Kenny said out loud. "I just feel sorry for the other three" Neganebashi said. About six minutes had elapsed from when Natsumi pulled through the gate.

Reaching a T-intersection just south of the Bokuto Station compound, Natsumi turned right and headed west on the side street. The street was almost deserted-they had only seen one walker since they turned on it. They reached Yotsumi Don and the intersection was clear. The van sailed on through. They went another block and a half until they came upon a small knot of walkers outside a Seven-Eleven. Natsumi saw there was room to get around them and started to slowly steer clear of the gaggle.

Suddenly Kyou shouted "Stop!" "They're after a woman!" she cried out. "We've got to stop and save her!


	18. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Natsumi slammed on the brakes. As she did, both she and Saori scanned the area on their side of the van. Saori unbuckled her seat belt and popped open the door in an instant then rested her elbow on the hood as she sighted in her P90. All she could see from hood level was the heads of the outer ring of walkers. She knew she would need to get higher to get a better angle, both to eliminate the closest threats first and also to avoid any injury to the victim from a through and through shot.

Saori did a quick scan of the area and decided the best way to go was... up. She climbed back into the passenger seat, shut the door and rolled down the window. She then slung her P90 on her back and climbed out of the open window, standing on its sill. She placed the gun on the roof and swung her body up and onto the roof of the van. Natsumi had started to say something when Saori got back in but just smiled when she realized what Saori was doing. She slammed the shifter in "PARK" and rolled down her window, looking for her first kill.

Now on the roof of the van, Saori assumed a sniper's prone position and sighted her P90 again. The vertical angle was better but she was still aiming directly at the victim. "Back up a bit" she yelled.

"Hold on" Natsumi said as she dropped the shifter in reverse and backed up about 3-4 meters. "How's that?" she called up to Saori.

"It's as good as it's going to get, I guess" she called back as she looked through the gun's ACOG sight.

Natsumi had an idea. She looked for the siren switch on the dash, then remembered that this was considered an auxiliary vehicle and didn't have lights or siren. She slammed her hand down on the horn button on the steering wheel. The horn let out a long, loud bleat.

Saori was about to yell at her senpai when she saw the group of walkers start to turn from the poor soul they had backed up. They all headed for the louder sound-right towards the van. As they did, they eliminated the chance of an accidental hit on the person they were trying to rescue. She smiled as she took careful aim and started picking off the farthest walkers, hoping Natsumi would join in.

Natsumi saw the walkers moving closer to the van but could not see Saori's kills in the rear of the pack. She got a bit nervous so she rolled down her window and aimed her MP5 at the closest walker. She squeezed the trigger and a formerly female walker's head exploded in a shower of red and gray. She moved her sights to the next one in line. As she did, she heard a soft 'plop" from above that indicated Saori was firing. Natsumi noticed one in the rear drop. Saori was taking the back of the pack and leaving the front for her. She squeezed off three more quick shots and claimed three more kills.

Natsumi swung her MP5 to the next one in the ragged line but saw nothing in her sights. She looked up from her gun to check and found the next walker was a seven year old girl. Well, Natsumi figured she was about seven. It was hard to tell with a good portion of the flesh on her right cheek and jaw chewed down to the bone. She realized she recognized the sailor suit uniform as being from the nearby Mori Elementary School. Natsumi hesitated to shoot the girl for a moment then realized she was no longer a little girl. She squeezed the trigger and her target went down like all the others.

Between the two women, all of the walkers were finally returned to the dead. Saori sat up so she could better use the van as an overwatch position to guard against any walkers approaching from the rear. Natsumi surveyed the street in the direction they had been headed. Kyou unbuckled her seat belt and slid the side door open. Startled by the sound, Natsumi snapped around and growled, "What are you doing, Kyou?"

"I'm going to get that poor woman in the van" she replied.

"You stay where you are-you're too important to the entire station" Natsumi told her, then she slapped Sahashi on the leg to get his attention. "Sahashi, get moving and get her in here!" she barked.

Startled out of his shock, Sahashi replied, "Yes, ma'am" as he got up from his seat and exited the van. He made his way carefully through the pile of twice-dead bodies. Coming up to the woman who was cowering in fear, he reached out his hand, gave her a wan smile and said "Come with me. We need to get you out of here." The woman took his hand, stood up and the two of them made their way back to the van. As she moved past Kyou, the nurse stared with her right hand covering her mouth, then blurted out, "Kaname, is it you?"

"How do you know my name?" the woman said, then tears sprung forth when she saw Kyou. "Ko-chan! I can't believe it!" The two of them fell into each others arms, crying for joy.

Saori had just swung down from the roof and back into the passenger's seat. Both she and Natsumi stared at the two crying women. "What's going on?" inquired Saori. "Beats me" replied Natsumi.

"Um, guys, I think we should leave... NOW!" Sahashi yelled. They all looked up. The van was becoming surrounded by dozens of walkers. Saori noticed one approaching the open side door. "Look out!" she called out, then quickly brought her gun to bear and dropped the intruder. "Kyou, the door!" she shouted.

Kyou grabbed the door handle and shoved the door closed just as another walker reached it and caromed off. She looked back at Saori and yelled "Get down!" Saori ducked just in time to avoid a female walker's arm as she lunged in through the open door. Natsumi raised the MP5 and fired point blank. The walker was knocked back by the force of the bullet and took out three others that were right behind her. Saori quickly sat up and rolled up her window.

Natsumi threw the shifter back into "DRIVE", yelled "Hang on!" and floored the accelerator. The drive wheels smoked for a few seconds until the caught traction. At that point they took off like a plane catapulted from an aircraft carrier. Natsumi was steering with her left hand and furiously trying to roll up her side window at the same time. She saw a gaggle of walkers right in front of her but she didn't dare stop. They went flying like bowling pins. She somehow managed to keep from hitting any of them dead on, so they did not damage the windshield but parted like seawater in front of a speedboat.

They kept going straight west on that side street until they got to Mitsumi Don. Natsumi skidded to a stop just before the road. She slid the shifter into "PARK" and the five of them let out a collective deep breath they had all been holding since they fled the scene of the rescue.

Finally able to breathe again, Kyou cleared her throat and announced, "Everybody, I'd like to introduce you to my roommate from medical school and probably the finest epidemiologist in Japan, if not all of Asia-Dr. Kaname Ichinose." Everyone started talking at the same time, sharing names until Saori said "Wait... You said you were roommates from medical school? I thought you went to nursing school?"

Kyou got red in the face and sat back, covering her face with her hands. Kaname turned to her and said, "You're a nurse? What happened, Kyou?" Natsumi and Sahashi just sat there stunned.

"It's a long story, Nami-chan" Kyou said weakly, still covering her face.

"Well, we'll have to listen to it in transit. We're running a bit late" Natsumi said as she put the shifter back in "DRIVE" and turned north onto Mitsumi Don.

"Now, where to begin?" Kaname mused. "You see, I was a year ahead of Kyou when we met. My old roommate had dropped out of school at the end of our first year due to the pressure but I was thriving in it. I still remember the day Kyou walked into the room. You had on that blue sundress with the sunflowers-remember?"

Kyou looked up. "You always did like that dress, Nami-chan" she said a hint of a smile coming out on her face. Kaname nodded, beaming.

"Kyou and I hit it off well and that first semester flew by so fast" Kaname continued. "We were so compatible that we were like sisters..."

"But things began to change during the winter term" Kyou went on, relaxing as she got into the story. "We both dated some of the male med students but neither of us could seem to hit it off with a guy. We were both getting pretty frustrated."

Kaname picked up the story. "Then one night, Ko-chan came back to the room looking disheveled. She was crying and she even had one sleeve of her blouse ripped. She told me the guy she had gone out with that night just wouldn't take 'No' for an answer and she barely managed to get away from him before she was date raped."

"Oh, my God" said Natsumi. "That's terrible" chimed in Saori. Even Sahashi was listening intently to the story and got a bit red-faced, seeing as he was the only male in the vehicle.

Kyou had the look of a person remembering a dream. "Kaname took care of me that night-made sure all of my bruises were treated-and one thing led to another..."

"Wait a minute, girlfriend!" Natsumi exclaimed. "You mean to tell me that you and... you and..."

"We were lovers" Kyou said.

"We still are" Kaname said. Kyou turned to her and said, "You never took another lover either?" Kaname nodded, tears filling her eyes. "I've waited for you all this time." Kyou sniffed and then the two of them fell into each others arms again, crying.

"Just one minute" Natsumi said with a puzzled look on her face. "What does any of this have to do with Kyou's going to med school but becoming a nurse?"

There was dead silence in the van.

Kaname looked at her lover. "Ko-chan? Explain..."

Kyou looked like a child that had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Well, it's not what you think..."

Kaname got a shocked look on her face. "You didn't drop out after I left, did you? Oh, I knew I shouldn't have taken that offer..."

"No, Nami-chan, I didn't drop out. I did graduate" Kyou said.

"So what happened?" Kaname asked.

"If you graduated, then why aren't you a doctor?" Natsumi asked, confused.

"I bombed the boards" Kyou said, dejectedly.

"It's my fault... I know it! I shouldn't have gone to America..." Kaname cried.

"No, Nami, that's not it!" Kyou countered. I got food poisoning from dinner the night before and could barely make it through the first test before I had to run straight to the ladies room-they ended up taking me to the hospital in an ambulance!"

"So why didn't you just take them again the next time they were held, Kyou?" wondered Saori.

"I had so much debt I had to figure out a way to start making money to pay it off" Kyou admitted. "I figured if I couldn't be a doctor, I'd fall back on my nursing license and get a job right away, then wait for the next round of boards."

"But that was five years ago, Ko-chan!" Kaname exclaimed.

"I-I-I...I got scared, Nami-chan" Kyou said in a soft voice as she dropped her head and covered her face again. "I-I stuck with what I knew I could do." Kaname hugged her long-lost lover and stroked her hair, comforting the upset woman.

"Well, that explains why you're the best damn nurse I've ever seen!" Natsumi exclaimed. "Let me tell you, Kaname, Kyou has helped as many people as any doctor could in our infirmary."

"I was planning to retake my boards next month and see if I could finally become a doctor" Kyou said. "Now, I'll never be able to take them."

"Who cares?" Sahashi suddenly blurted out.

"What do you mean, 'Who cares'?" Natsumi snapped back with a scowl on her face.

"Just that. Who cares about a scrap of paper?" Sahashi said. "If we all survive, we'll need to have expert medical practitioners. I don't think they're going to be checking your diplomas. You have the knowledge, you can be what you want to be."

"You're right, Sahashi!" Natsumi sang out. "You're a doctor, Kyou. Who cares about what some stuffy old board says? They're all probably..." She got very quiet.

"I understand" Kyou said. "It's not the papers, it's the skills that will count in this new world."

By now, the van was just crossing Kuramae-hashi Don. Kyou saw the street sign and said, "The medical supply house is just up here on the left."

"Oh, I should have realized it. You're going to Otonashi's medical supply store" Kaname observed. "I wonder if he's alright?"

They quickly arrived at their destination. Otonashi Wholesale Medial Supplies looked deserted. The front door was propped open by the leg of a walker. He was lying on the sidewalk like he had been knocked out of the building. His head was bashed in, apparently by a baseball bat. All five of them surveyed the area for any dangers. Seeing none, Saori opened her door and said "I'll stand guard while you park the van, senpai."

Saori moved to the center of the deserted street and took up a guard position in front of the van. Kyou, Kaname and Sahashi got out and helped guide Natsumi to park the van so they could load it quickly. Natsumi got out of the driver's seat so she could stretch her back and legs. She then joined Saori in front of the van. Natsumi told her "Go ahead and check the building... but be careful, Saori-chan."

Saori walked through the front door, her gun at the ready. She expected the store to look like a typical pharmacy-rows and rows of cosmetics, over the counter medicines, food and household supplies. Instead, she found a 4 meter long counter against one wall of a room about 5 meters deep by seven meters wide. There was a computer on either end of the counter and a swinging door in its center. There were some displays on the side walls and two rows of seats on either side of the door but not much else.

Puzzled, Saori walked back outside and found Kyou. "Are you sure we're at the right place?" she asked the nurse. "It sure doesn't seem like a pharmacy to me."

Kyou looked at Saori in an odd way. "I was just here last week" she told Saori. "They couldn't have closed down or moved in such a short time without my hearing about it." She turned to Kaname and said "Nami-chan, did you hear anything about Otonashi-san closing or moving?"

Kaname walked up to the other two women. "We're at the right place. I was here the day before yesterday. Otonashi-san was his usual self."

Kyou turned to Saori. "'Usual self' means he was grumpy and distracted" she explained.

"Then are we at the wrong door?" Saori continued. "The place I was just in didn't look like any drug store I've ever been in."

Kyou looked at Kaname and the both began to giggle. "You were expecting a drug store?" Kyou chuckled. "This is a professional medical supply house. Probably every doctor, dentist and clinic in Sumida ward that doesn't get their supplies from a hospital or the government gets them from here. Those three stories (Kyou pointed at the building) are full of all kinds of supplies, from cotton swabs to portable X-ray machines. Otonashi-san also has one of the biggest pharmaceutical storerooms within 600 kilometers of Tokyo."

"Oh, so it's not for the general public" Saori observed.

"You could go in as a private citizen and buy things. Otonashi-san also has some of the best discounts in Japan on most medical supplies" Kyou explained.

"Stop it, Ko-chan, you're sounding like a commercial" Kaname chided with a grin. "Let's start collecting what we need."

"I haven't finished my sweep yet" Saori cautioned. "I'll be quick." She trotted back in the building.

Once inside, Saori opened the walk-through in the counter and went through the swinging doors behind them. She found herself in a huge room full of shelving that went u[ to the ceiling. She had never seen so much medical equipment and supplies in one place in her life, and she realized this was just the first floor!

Saori quickly evaluated the layout. She was standing in the center of eight rows of shelving-four to her left and four to her right. The shelves appeared to be about 5-7 meters long and there were two sets of them, separated by a center aisle that ran perpendicular to the aisle she stood in. She noticed a door was ajar to the left of her. It appeared to be on the other side of the left wall of the storefront. She quickly moved to the door and peered in.

She saw a body lying on the floor, looking much like the walker she had found at the front door. The difference was the bashed in skull was the only injury she could see-there were no bite marks. Saori moved to the body and checked for a pulse. She confirmed that he was dead, so she rolled the body over on its back. The man still had his glasses on, but the frames were bent and the lenses broken. On his blood spattered white smock was a name badge that said "Otonashi". Opening the smock, she saw a hook on his belt for a key ring-but the keys were gone!

Saori quickly checked around her. She didn't see the keys lying anywhere near the body of the owner. She also didn't see any attackers luring in the corners of the office. She got up and moved quickly back to the group waiting outside.

"Is it clear?" Natsumi asked. She was beginning to get a bit worried with them sitting out there exposed for so long.

"I think I found Otonashi. He's dead" Saori told the group. "He doesn't look like he was bitten but his head was smashed in like that one over there" as she pointed at the body of the walker they had dragged down the sidewalk. "I can't believe that in a time like this, people still lust after money."

"Did he still have his keys, Saori?" Kyou asked.

"Were they on a hook on his belt?" Saori inquired. "If so, then they're gone. I did a quick search."

"Oh, no" Kaname gasped. "They were going for the drugs."

"If they got any, hopefully they just went for the bait box" Kyou said.

"Bait box?" Saori asked, confused.

"Otonashi has a medication cabinet on the wall by his office" Kyou explained. "It's there to make a thief think that's all the drugs he carries. He has a much bigger supply in an unmarked storage room on the second floor."

"How do you know that?" Saori asked.

"He showed me around one day" Kyou said. "He claimed it was to let me know what he stocked. I think he was actually trying to hit on me."

"Oh, no!" Kaname cried. "He didn't did..."

"Don't worry, Nami-chan" Kyou assured her partner. "He didn't lay a finger on me. Besides, he's not my type. Not to speak ill of the dead, but when he was not his usual grumpy self, he was a real 'touchy-feely' kind of perv!" The girls all gave an involuntary "Ewww..."

Sahashi was a bit red-faced at the intimation. He shot back "Women... You can't live with them..."

"And you can't repopulate the world without them" Saori jumped in. They all laughed.

"Touche" Sahashi declared. "This round to Saori-chan!"

"Is the building clear, Saori?" Natsumi demanded, clearly growing more nervous and frustrated at the delay.

"Not all of it. The first floor should be OK" Saori replied. "If someone could help watch over the girls, I could sweep the other two floors while they started."

Natsumi frowned, her forehead wrinkling as she thought. "OK, then, I guess I'll have to make a battlefield decision" she declared firmly "but if you screw up, or screw us over (as she now looked at Sahashi), the Chief will have my ass, and not in the way I'd always fantasized about."

Natsumi slung her MP5 and pulled a full sized Beretta PX4 Storm 9mm with a tactical barrel out of a holster strapped to her right thigh, then retrieved a suppressor from the cargo pocket on her left thigh. As she attached the suppressor, she walked up to Sahashi. Handing him the gun, she said "Are you sure you know how to use this?"

"You wouldn't have a Sig or a Glock on you, would you?" Sahashi asked.

"'Fraid not. You should have put your order in earlier" Natsumi replied, beginning to smile.

"I guess I'll just have to deal with it." Sahashi replied. "Why the change of heart?"

"I think the Chief's instincts were right" Natsumi told him. "Yes, he was furious with you at first, but when he got to thinking he realized you probably just didn't know the gravity of the situation."

Sahashi nodded in agreement. "The past thirty minutes have opened my eyes, that's for sure. I want to live and to do that, we'll all have to work together."

Natsumi stuck out her hand. "Welcome aboard, Officer Sahashi Masumi. Better late than never!"

"I won't let you down!" Sahashi said with a grin. Turning to the two doctors, he said "I'll protect you. Let's go."

Saori went back in first, heading for the center aisle to complete her sweep. Kyou and Kaname followed her while Masumi took up the rear guard. Saori signaled the others to go to the office. Masumi moved ahead of the two doctors and led them to the office. He swept the room and then stepped aside to let Kyou and Kaname in. He stood at the door where he could keep an eye on both the office and the warehouse.

Kyou and Kaname looked at the still form of the dead Otonashi. They were sad at his death, and angry that someone would kill him for either money or drugs in the face of what could be the end of the world. Then they began to check everywhere for the keys. Kaname found them behind a file cabinet. She guessed he had tossed them there to prevent the intruder from stealing drugs. He paid for that with his life. The two women were able to move the file cabinet enough to use a reach extender to grab the keys.

"Let's go check on the medicine storage room" Kyou said.

"Not until Saori gives us the all clear" Masumi replied.

Saori had swept the first floor while the others were searching for the keys. She used a tactical flashlight she had commandeered from an AR-15 she had seen in the collection Aoi and Onodera had brought back with her P90. Her sweep led her to the stairway. She figured it would be faster and quieter than the freight elevator next to it.

Moving up to the second floor, she immediately located the drug storage room. The door had a number of baseball bat-shaped dings on it but was still locked. She breathed a sigh of relief. The second floor was laid out like the first, so she moved down the center aisle, sweeping the dim corridors with her flashlight. Saori spotted nothing out of the ordinary, however she had missed an ominous shadow down one corridor. Saori moved back to the stairs and made her way to the third floor.

This one had larger medical equipment-hospital beds, patient lifts, mobile X-ray machines and other devices she couldn't name- lined up in rows in an open room. Saori swept the room from the stairway door, her flashlight glinting off of chrome or glass but not picking up any movement until she saw a shadow in one corner. She moved over to that corner, her P90 at the ready. The intruder made herself known-a big tuxedo tabby cat. She walked up to Saori and started rubbing on her leg, purring. Saori looked down at the feline and said "I'm sorry, little one, but I'll have to leave you here. I'll make sure to give you a way out, though." She then went back to the stairwell, the cat following.

Saori walked rapidly down the steps to the first floor and caught up to the others. "I didn't find anything on the other two floors except..." A "meow" came from the stairwell. "Except her" Saori finished.

"We need to secure the drugs first" Kyou said.

"I found the storage room" Saori told them. "Someone tried to break the door down with a metal bat but the door's still locked. Did you find the keys?"

"Got them right here" Kaname said, holding up the ring. "Lead us to the room."

"I'll catch up with you in a minute" Masumi said.


	19. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Saori, Kyou and Kaname went to the stairwell and climbed up to the second floor. Saori scanned the area again from the doorway then motioned for Kaname and Kyou to go on. The two doctors went to the door, tried a few keys until the found the one that unlocked the door and walked in. Saori stood at the door, keeping her head on a swivel. The cat had followed the women up to the second floor.

As Kyou and Kaname began to collect the needed medicines in some empty boxes, Saori kept her eyes open for any movement-or so she thought. There was someone lurking in the shadows behind her. If she had looked behind her, Saori would have seen the faint glint of metal as a shaft of light fell on a knife blade.

Saori's first indication that something was wrong was when the cat suddenly arched her back and hissed loudly. Before she could react, Saori had been grabbed from behind and a knife was at her throat. She had no way to swing the P90 around to aim at her captor-it was too big.

"Don't try anything funny" a voice hissed in her left ear.

"You have my attention" Saori replied quietly.

The intruder pushed Saori over to the door of the drug room. "Ladies, I'd like to thank you for making my job easier" He announced in a loud voice. The two doctors looked up, horrified. Saori tried to put a judo move on her captor but he was holding his knife right up against her throat and all she got for her effort was a shallow wound on the right side of her neck.

"That's right" he continued. "Just keep filling that box with the good stuff. I want the morphine, the Oxycontin, the methadone-all of it! And you" he said leaning down again to talk right into Saori's ear, "will hand over your piece. I assume you all came in a car-we'll take it to my place and then we'll party right into Hell!" He grabbed Saori's right breast and squeezed it tight. Saori didn't cry out-instead she hissed "You are a dead man!"

"Shut up, bitch, or I'll slice your throat open and piss down it. Two bitches are good enough for me-I don't need a scrawny girl like you-though I'll bet you're cherry. I know, I can cut your throat and pop your cherry while you die-at least that way you'll die a real woman!" He started laughing, but his laugh was cut off midway. His left hand involuntarily spasmed, squeezing Saori's breast painfully, but released it just as quickly as the knife clattered to the floor. The assailant fell backwards, dead.

Saori's heart was pounding as she whipped around, looking to see what had happened. The assailant lay on the floor, dead. Blood oozed from a hole in his right temple. Saori looked in the direction the shot had come from to see Masumi crouching in the stairwell doorway, still pointing his gun in her direction. He was breathing heavily and his eyes were narrowed to almost slits. He lowered his gun as he stood up, then he ran to Saori. "You're throat's cut. Kyou, Kaname, help her!" he cried.

"It's just a scratch, Sahashi" said Saori. Suddenly her head felt funny and light and she fell against the door frame. "Am I dying?" she cried, panic gripping her as she noticed hot blood trickling down her neck.

Kaname made it to Saori first, then she and Kyou helped the injured officer over to a chair as Masumi nervously took up her guard position-this time, with his back to the storage room. "Is she going to be alright?" he said, his voice cracking.

"She'll be OK, Sahashi" Kyou said. "She's not dying. She just started to pass out from the adrenalin her body pumped into her blood. Nami-chan is tending to her now." She walked up to Masumi and hugged him from behind. "Natsumi and the Chief were right. You came through just when we needed you."

Masumi had tears streaming from his eyes. "I heard the cat hiss and knew something was wrong. When I got to this floor, I saw him holding Saori and heard him threaten to kill her. There was no way I'd let that bastard harm her, but he already had."

"But you saved us-all of us, Masumi" Kyou replied, still hugging him. "Arrigato."

Outside, Natsumi was wondering what was taking so long. Making one more sweep of the perimeter to make sure it was clear, she left her post and ran into the store. She heard voices to her left and spied the stairwell. She reached it and flew up, bursting out of the doorway to find a dead man lying in the passageway and Masumi pointing his gun at her, Kyou still hugging him.

"Was he the murderer?" Natsumi asked.

"I don't know, but he had a knife to Saori's throat and she was bleeding" Masumi replied. "He threatened to kill her and rape the others, so I did what I had to do."

Natsumi smiled. "Don't worry, Masumi. Anyone could see this was a righteous kill. Is Saori OK?"

Kyou let go of Sahashi and looked back at Kaname as she finished up bandaging Saori. "It was a superficial wound. She'll be fine."

"Then let's get a move on! Time's a wasting!" Natsumi ordered. She turned around and went back outside.

"I'm a little shaky but I'm good now" Saori told the others. "I don't think there will be any more interruptions. You start loading the van. I'll be there in a few minutes when I can stand again."

"I'm not going to leave..." Masumi started.

"GO!" Saori shouted. "The mission is still the most important thing. I'll be fine-the doctors said so, didn't they?" She smiled wanly.

Kyou and Kaname had returned to filling boxes with medications. Masumi found a cart, brought it into the storage room and began to load boxes on it. Once he had all the loaded boxes on it, he went back out into the warehouse and found another cart. By the time he wheeled it back, the first cart was full. He switched carts in the storeroom and wheeled the full one to the freight elevator. Riding it down, Masumi moved the cart off the elevator and wheeled it outside.

Natsumi heard the door open and saw Masumi push the loaded cart to the back of the van. "Finally we're making some headway!" she said. She walked to where the side door was opened and helped Masumi position the first set of boxes. "The cart your idea?" she asked him as they moved the boxes around.

"Yes, and they're loading another one as we speak" he replied.

"Great idea, Masumi!" Natsumi exclaimed in praise.

Masumi smiled back at her. "Ready for round two?"

"Bring it on!" Natsumi replied. "Oh, and if Saori's steady enough, send her down here, please."

"Roger, boss!" Masumi acknowledged.

Natsumi watched him go back in. "Y'know, once he dropped the angry young punk act, he's kinda nice" she thought to herself. "I wonder if he and Saori..." She stopped, hearing a noise. Natsumi spun around to see the tuxedo tabby sitting there, looking at her. "Aw, kitty, kitty" She said lovingly, crouching down and extending her hand. The cat came over to her and she began to scratch her head. "Thanks for saving my team, kitty kitty. Maybe you can come home with us." At that, the cat started purring.

Natsumi heard another sound and stood up quickly, raising her MP5. This time it was Saori walking out of the building. She was still a little unsteady on her feet and the bandage on her neck had a thin red line showing through it already, but she seemed OK. She walked over to where Natsumi was and leaned against the side of the van. "I can't believe I was that stupid" she moaned.

"What happened in there?" Natsumi asked.

"I didn't position myself properly and left a huge blind spot behind me, senpai" Saori told her. "The only way I knew he was there was by the cat's hiss-and by then, it was too late."

"Any other injuries, Saori-chan?" Natsumi continued.

"Other than my pride, just my right boob" Saori replied, chucking weakly. "He grabbed me there and squeezed, then when Masumi shot him, his hand clamped down in a death grip for a second. That HURT!"

"Have Kyou look at that after we get back" Natsumi told her partner.

"I'm sorry, senpai" Saori said, her head bowed. "I nearly cost the station two doctors."

"We all make mistakes, Saori" Natsumi told her. "The important thing is you've lived to learn from it. Oh, that brings up a question I've been meaning to ask you all afternoon. Just where did you get all those mad shooting skills, girlfriend?"

"I've got to sit down, senpai" Saori said. Natsumi helped her up into the van and she sat on a middle seat. She leaned back and said "I realized that there was only one way that I was going to get ahead in the MPD. I had to develop some skills that set me apart. I sat down and did an objective rating of myself. The only place I could see where I lacked was in knowledge and skills with weapons and fighting. I started by taking some self-defense courses, then I did some research and enrolled myself in some training in America. Firearms training."

"Where did you go?" Natsumi asked, fascinated.

Saori thought for a minute then continued. "I looked at all the training centers I could find on the Internet-Front Sight, Gunsite, InSights , Top Gun, BullsEye-but none of them could give me what I wanted. Then I found a school in of all places, Tulsa, Oklahoma. It's called the U.S. Shooting Academy and in the three weeks I spent there I learned so much! When they found out who I was and what I was doing they even let me have free rental of the guns I needed from them. They even gave me an honorary membership to the academy and told me I was welcome back any time. I went back the next summer for some advanced training in close quarters combat and hostage rescue."

"Wow!" Natsumi said quietly. "I am so jealous of you at this moment, Saori-chan. How did you afford it?"

"I scraped and saved up for months for the first set of courses" Saori explained. "I didn't tell anyone what I was doing. Well, my Chief found out what I had done after I got back and he called me in his office. I thought I was in so much trouble! I hadn't thought I could be disciplined for something I did on my own time and in a foreign country-and that was perfectly legal there!"

"Obviously, he didn't fire you or anything, so..." Natsumi observed.

"So, he said to me "Saga, what's this I hear about you going to USSA for three weeks of firearms training?" I was shocked! I couldn't believe he knew exactly what I was doing."

"What did you say, girlfriend?" Natsumi asked.

Saori smiled. "I had to tell him the truth, that I had done it on my own to try and improve my skills as a MPD police officer. At that, he smiled and said to me "So why did it take an international call from Mike Seeklander for me to find out?""

"Mike Seeklander?" Natsumi said, puzzled.

"He's the training director at USSA" Saori informed her. "I stammered a bit and the Chief smiled. He then said "It's alright, Saga. I was just a bit shocked when Mike-sensei called me and asked if I knew a young, pretty Japanese girl who claimed to be a MPD officer and was trying to get firearms training. I had to lie a little and make it sound like you had simply forgotten to bring your letter of introduction from me. I wrote one up, backdated it to just before you went on vacation and faxed it to USSA."

"I asked him why did they call him and not headquarters. He said I was lucky they did as it might not have ended up the same if they were the first ones to learn about it. He told me that he had been to USSA two years prior to go through much of the same training I had, so when Mike-sensi had to call someone to vouch for you, he was the first one Mike thought of! "Next time, let me know, Saga" he told me with a wink "I'll see if we can get some money from headquarters to help out." He even got headquarters to foot some of the bill for my first visit! That's how I was able to afford to go back the next summer."

Natsumi just shook her head. "Saori-chan, you never cease to amaze me."

All that time, Kyou, Kaname and Masumi were busy filling up boxes with supplies, grabbing full boxes of other items and moving them all down to the van. By the time Saori had ended her story the van was just about as full as it was going to get with medical supplies. Masumi had wheeled down the last load of boxes and Kyou and he were loading them into the van. Kaname needed to sit down so Saori, feeling better, got up out of the middle seat and let Kaname take her place.

"We better do one more sweep of the area before we go" Natsumi told Saori. "You up to it?"

"I'm feeling much better now" Saori replied. Saori went to the north and Natsumi went to the south again. Saori went almost to the end of the building but saw nothing. She turned around and, forgetting where she was for an instant, called out to Natsumi in a loud voice "All Clear!" She got about three steps closer to the van when three walkers came out from around the north side of the building, They were moving towards Saori at a fast clip.

The tuxedo tabby saw Saori's pursuers, arched her back and started hissing and spitting at them. Kyou and Masumi, having just closed the rear door on the van, turned to look at the cat, then followed her stare to the threat. Kyou cried out "Oh, no!" but froze in place, blocking Natsumi from having a shot down the sidewalk. Natsumi started moving out into the street to get a better angle but saw more walkers coming straight at her from the other side of the street. She had to start picking them off to protect their escape route south.

Masumi started running towards Saori and yelled "Get down" as he pulled his pistol out from where he had tucked it in his waistband. Saori crouched and Masumi took a shot while running. It went wide to the left and ricocheted off the brick of the building. He stopped and his next two shots were true, taking out two of the three walkers. However, Masumi limp-wristed the gun on the third shot and the empty casing "stovepiped", that is it jammed in the ejector port sticking out like a smokestack.

Masumi had learned how to fire a pistol in the academy, and was a pretty good shot, but he had learned on revolvers. Thus, he did not know the "tap, rack, bang" drill for clearing such a jam. Frustrated, he dropped the gun and charged at the last walker. Saori saw him flash by and tried to turn to shoot the last target but by now Masumi was blocking her shot. She could only watch what happened next in horror.

Masumi went in low and hit the walker in the solar plexus. He drove him back but they both fell in a heap, killing the walker when her... no, its. As the walker went down, its mouth flew open due to inertia. The walker's body folded around Masumi and its open mouth hit him in the back of the right thigh. Somehow, the upper teeth tore through the fabric of his trousers and pierced his skin, inflicting a wound. Masumi screamed in pain when it happened. Everyone froze at that scream.

Saori jumped up and was the first one to reach Masumi. She fell down on her knees and shoved the dead walker's body off him. She was wailing "Oh, please, don't let him be bitten! Oh please, let him survive!" but her worst fears were realized when she saw the back of his leg. Kyou ran up next, followed closely by Kaname. Natsumi, being the farthest away, was last. She scanned the area and saw more walkers headed their way. "Let's get him inside. We'll see what we can do then."

Saori and Kyou helped Masumi limp into the storefront. Kaname and Natsumi followed. Natsumi locked the door to slow the walkers down. They all gathered around Masumi.

"It's just a scratch, it's just a scratch, isn't it?" Saori repeated over and over. The two doctors rolled him over and inspected the wound. It already appeared to be nasty, with the edges of the bite area already turning black. Masumi groaned in pain. They rolled him back but said nothing. Their grim faces and tear-filled eyes said it all.

"Oh, God!" Masumi groaned. Saori turned away, not wanting to see the truth. Natsumi, having verified that the inbound walkers were slowing down since their sound source had vanished, grabbed Saori by the arm, jerked her up and drug her to the opposite end of the storefront.

"He can't die! He just can't!" Saori wailed. Natsumi grabbed her by the arms and shook her.

"Snap out of it, Saga!" Natsumi barked in her face. "We need you here-NOW!"

Masumi grimaced in pain. "Kyou, Kaname, I know I'm done for. Oh, God, my blood feels like molten lead and my heart's pounding like a jackhammer. I want to do one thing before I die."

"What's that?" Kyou asked.

"I want to try and give you some clues so you can figure out what this is and stop it" Masumi groaned as another wave of pain surged through him. "This is your specialty, isn't it, Nami-chan?"

"Yes, it is" Kaname said through gritted teeth, forcing a smile.

"Are you ready to take some notes? I don't have much more time left" Masumi said, panting.

"Wait!" Kyou said. She pulled her smartphone out of her jacket pocket, put it in video mode and pointed the lens at Masumi. "Go now" she said as she hit the record button.

Masumi took a deep breath that caused him great pain, then he began. "I am Masumi Sahashi... no I am Officer Masumi Sahashi of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. I am currently with the Bokuto precinct" At that, both Natsumi and Saori turned around as tears started to stream down their faces.

Masumi continued, "I was assigned to assist in a medical supply... OH, GOD, THE PAIN!... retrieval mission. We had successfully acquired the supplies we had sought when our party was attacked by three walkers. I was able to... to... COUGH, COUGH... eliminate two of them but in eliminating the third one I was myself bitten.

"This record is to help understand what may be causing this... this contagion... ARRGH!...I want to describe how I feel right now. Shortly after I was bitten, the area around the would got very hot and then numb. Within seconds, my heart rate shot up to an unbelievable rate and it began to feel like someone had replaced my blood with... with... GROAN!... molten lead. My heart is still beating much faster than it ever has and now the front of my brain feels like it's about to explode. My eyesight is getting dim and... OHHHHH!... I can't feel anything but incredible heat in my arms and legs."

Saori was crying softly, her face buried in Natsumi's chest. Masumi cried out "SAGA!"

"Go to him, Saori-chan" Natsumi whispered in her ear. Saori wiped the tears from her eyes and went over to him.

"Let me see you one last time, Saori-chan" Masumi whispered, hid body racked by pain. "My only regret is not learning sooner what I learned today. I guess I was a bit of an... COUGH... ass to be around."

"That's alright, Masumi" Saori said, her voice breaking up. You came through when it was needed."

Masumi smiled. "I'm glad it's you I saved twice." He drew a labored breath. "It's getting... hard to breathe... my voice is... is. Shutting down. I have one last thing to ask you, Saori-chan. Please save me."

"Save you?" Saori said incredulously. "How?"

Masumi took another labored breath. "Don't let me... become one... of them. Release... me... from... this... body... now... Shoot... me... Please..."

"I can't!" She wailed. "I can't shoot a live person!"

"I'M... ALREADY... DEAD..." Masumi groaned out. "PLEASE?"

"Move out of the way, Saga!" Natsumi screamed. "If you don't have the guts..."

"I'll do it" Saori said quietly.

Masumi managed a tortured smile. "I... LOVE... YOU"

Raising her gun to her shoulder, Saori said "I love you, too" then pulled the trigger.

Masumi died with a smile on his face. He did not get back up.

Saori fell to her knees, sobbing. The only thing that stopped her P90 from hitting the floor was the tactical sling she wore. Saori fell on Masumi's chest, sobbing. She stayed like that for many minutes.

Natsumi knelt down beside the grief-stricken woman and put her arm around Saori. "We have to go" she said softly.

Natsumi helped Saori up and the four women went to the door. Natsumi scanned the street but it was empty on all sides. "Move out" she said. She helped Saori get into the passenger seat and buckled her in, then crossed around the front to get into the driver's seat. Kyou and Kaname climbed into the middle seat and buckled themselves in. Unseen by any of the women, the tuxedo tabby also climbed in the van and curled up under Kyou's seat. Natsumi started the engine, put the shifter in "DRIVE" and pulled out, turning left. She suddenly slammed on the brakes, put the van in reverse and backed up. Putting the van in park, she unbuckled her seat belt, opened the door and got out. She ran over to where Masumi's Beretta lay and retrieved it, then ran back to the van, got in and drove away.

There was dead silence all the way back to Bokuto, save for Saori's weeping. When they approached the front gate, the guard spotted them and opened the gate. As they drove through, he counted the four heads showing in the van. He closed the gate and radioed in that the van had returned. "Are all four of them in there?" he heard in his ear. "Yes, all four are there" he replied.

The Chief, Kinoshita and Tokuno met them in back of the station building. Miyuki was just coming out with Kenny when the van pulled to a stop. Natsumi opened her door and slid open the side door to let Kyou and Kaname out. Saori just sat there, by now all cried out.

"I thought the gate guard said there were four in the van" the Chief said. "Tsujimoto, where is Sahashi?"

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Natsumi stood up to attention. She raised her arm in a salute. "Sir, Officer Natsumi Tsujimoto reporting. I regret to inform you that Officer Masumi Sahashi has died in the line of duty. In the finest tradition of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, he gave his life to save his fellow officers and to protect citizens. I also regret to inform you that, due to circumstances, we were unable to retrieve his body." She held her salute.

The Chief came to attention. Everyone followed him. He brought his arm up to return Natsumi's salute. Everyone rendered a salute for their fallen comrade.


	20. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Miyuki and Kenny walked back to the impromptu command center of the station. They both knew that while their lunch was wonderful, it was merely a tiny respite in this day of chaos. They reached Miyuki's temporary office and Kenny opened the door for his fiancee, then he took her in his arms and kissed her once again.

"I'm going to track down Tokuno and see what he needs me to do" Kenny said. "If you need me for anything, just let me know."

"You be safe out there, Kenny" Miyuki ordered him. "I don't want to lose you now."

"I will" he replied. "You be safe, too!"

Miyuki walked over to her desk. She sat down, still a bit light-headed from the events of the last hour. It had been how many years? She couldn't even conceive of how long she had waited-but it was worth it! Feeling Kenny's strong arms around her, looking into his eyes-really looking, without the sunglasses to hide behind-it was a dream wrapped up in a fantasy and Miyuki didn't want to wake up from it, lest she return to the nightmare.

Miyuki turned the computer on and was waiting for it to boot up when Kirishima knocked on the door frame and stuck his head in. "Do you know where Inspector Tokuno is right now?" he asked Miyuki.

"Sorry, Kirishima, but I don't" Miyuki told him. "I just got back from lunch-or was that dinner-and the last time I saw him was down at the cafeteria during the celebration."

"By the way, congratulations, Miyuki" Kirishima said. "I'm glad to see Kenny's finally make the right decision."

"Thanks, Kirishima" Miyuki replied. "Better late than never, I guess. What do you need Tokuno for?"

"He asked me to find a transport jumpsuit for Onodera" Kirishima explained. "I finally tracked them down. Someone keeps moving them."

A voice came from behind Kirishima. "About time you found that jumpsuit!" Tokuno growled. Kirishima nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Boss, it wasn't where I expected it to be" he told the Inspector. "I just about had to..."

Tokuno broke into a smile. "Relax, Yasutoshi, I'm just having a little fun with you."

"Well, warn me the next time you do that, Boss" Kirishima retorted, returning the smile.

"It wouldn't be near as much fun" Tokuno observed. "Could you take the jumpsuits into the Chief's office? Onodera is being brought there." Kirishima nodded and headed towards the office.

"What are you up to now, Miyuki?" Tokuno asked.

"I'm trying to do some calculations on what we would need to get everyone here to a safe place" Miyuki replied. "However, Nakano's computer is pretty bad. I'm thinking of moving my computer from the squad room to here."

"Do you need me to arrange some help?" Tokuno asked.

"No, I'll just get Kenny to help" Miyuki told him, beaming.

"That's it, break him in right" Tokuno chuckled. Miyuki blushed a little at that. "By the way" he continued "Where is Nakajima?"

"He went to look for you" she replied. Just then, Kenny appeared at the door.

"Inspector, I've been looking all over for you" Kenny said. "I was told I'm standing in for Sugihara?"

"Yes, he wound up in the infirmary" Tokuno told Kenny. "Come with me-I'll go over what I expect from you while you're filling in."

As Kenny and Tokuno started to leave, Miyuki called out, "Kenny, when you get a minute, I have something I need you to help me with."

"Don't worry, Miyuki" Tokuno said. "I won't keep him too long." Then they walked off.

Miyuki turned back to the computer at her desk. She typed in some information and hit "ENTER" but nothing happened. She sighed, realizing that the program she was trying to access was only on her computer in the squad room. "I can't wait for Kenny to help me move my computer up here-I'll have to go down there" she realized. She gathered up her papers, stood up from the desk and left the office.

When she reached the squad room, Miyuki found it almost deserted. Only Yuuka Endou and Takeshi Doushima were there. They were sitting in one corner, talking. Miyuki sat down at her computer and turned it on. As she was waiting for it to boot up, Natsumi's phone rang. Miyuki jumped up and reached over for the phone, hoping it would be Shouji checking in. When she put the receiver to her ear, all she could hear was digital hash. She could barely tell if a human voice was mixed in with all the noise.

"Shouji, is that you?" she asked, then listened as hard as she could. "Shouji, is that you?" she repeated, then paused for a reply again. She thought she heard something that sounded like a man's voice, but she wasn't sure and the squad room phones didn't have caller ID.

"Shouji, if this is you, I can not hear anything" Miyuki said, hoping the reception on his end was better. "Natsumi is not here-she's out on a mission" she continued. "I will let her know you called." The line went dead. Miyuki looked at the clock on the wall. The time was 1650.

Miyuki sat back down at her desk and logged into her computer. She started entering the information she needed to compile. In a few minutes she was in a rhythm and had just about tuned the whole world out. All she could see were her notes and the computer screen. Then she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She swung around, annoyed at the interruption. "Please don't disturb me" she snapped, "I'm wor..." She found Kenny standing behind her.

"I'm sorry, Miyuki" he said, a bit flustered, "I was just coming back to see what you needed. Karouko said you might be down here."

Miyuki jumped up and hugged her fiancee, burying her face in his chest. "I'm sorry, Kenny-kun" she said, holding on to him tightly, "I'm just still so stressed out by all this."

Kenny was startled by Miyuki's sudden outburst of emotions, but he smiled as she explained her reasons. He stroked her hair as he replied "That's all right, Miyuki-chan, we're all jumpy and you've been asked to do a lot in a short time. What did you want me for?"

"Mmmm... this will do for starters" Miyuki sighed, holding on to Kenny tightly. "I can't wait for tomorrow..."

"I know, Mi-chan" Kenny echoed. "I'm looking forward to calling you 'Mrs. Nakajima'."

"Mi-chan?" Miyuki said quizzically, looking up at Kenny.

"It just came to me" he replied. "Do you like it?"

"Mi-chan... Mi-chan..." Miyuki repeated, trying the pet name on for size. "I love it, Kenny-kun. I really do!" She leaned back on his chest.

Kenny bent down and kissed the top of Miyuki's head. "I'm happy you like it." They stood like that for a few minutes, then Kenny said "I'd love to do this for the rest of my life, but you wanted me to do something for you, Mi-chan?"

Miyuki sighed. "...and real life interrupts yet again" she said, pulling back form Kenny's embrace. "Kenny-kun, I need to have my computer moved to the office the Chief's got me working in as it has programs I need."

Kenny looked at the computer on the desk and then back at Miyuki. "I can do that for you, no problem. As soon as you shut it off..."

"Could you move the computer from the other office first?" Miyuki asked sweetly. "That'd give me more time to work with it here. We can move it when the other place is ready."

"As you wish" Kenny said, smiling. He gave a small bow and headed for the door.

"But you're Kenny, not Wesley" Miyuki giggled as he left. She sat back down and resumed working out the situation for which she had been asked to make a plan. She got back into the rhythm of her work.

About fifteen minutes later, Chie Sagamiono stuck her head in the squad room door, then rapped on the door sill. "Kobayakawa, would I be disturbing you if we talked for a few minutes?"

"Just give me a few seconds, Chie" Miyuki replied as she typed in one last line and clicked an icon with her mouse. "There, it'll take the computer a few minutes to process all that and print it out, so come on in."

Chie walked in the room and crossed over to a chair to sit down. She was a bit unsteady on her feet and walked slowly. She sat down at a desk across the aisle from Miyuki's, unaware it was Yoriko's desk. "I'm sorry for putting everyone out so much today, Kobayakawa." she started, her eyes downcast.

"Please don't worry about it, Chie" Miyuki said soothingly. "It's been a nightmare of a day for everyone. Oh, and please call me Miyuki."

Chie lifted her head and smiled wanly at that. "Thanks, Miyuki. I feel like I've been in a nightmare all day. The things I've seen... When I close my eyes, I still see people getting bitten and dying, only to get back up. Then to find out that happened to Yoriko..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes began to tear up.

"Oh, Chie!" Miyuki said, getting up and crossing over to Yoriko's one-time rival and giving her a warm embrace. "I know how you feel. If it wasn't for a stupid report I had to do, it could have been Natsumi or I who ended up that way. There's no sense to it at all."

Tears streaming down her face, Chie cried "I know everyone thought of us as rivals; but before that, Yoriko was one of my best friends at the academy!" She laid her on against Miyuki's shoulder and cried for a few minutes. As her tears subsided, she said "I know there's work to do. We can cry about this later."

"That's how we're all handling it right now, Chie." Miyuki assured her. "However, I have to ask-what are you doing here? I mean, how were you released from the infirmary? I know Kyou's not in the building."

"Oh, Nurse Fuji... um, Kyou's assistant, Honda, released me" Chie replied. "He checked me over and said I was able to leave but not to do any hard work for at least twenty-four hours."

Miyuki giggled at that. "Chie, I guess you didn't know. He may be helping Kyou, but Honda's not her assistant."

"He isn't?" she retorted. "Then who is he?"

"He's a mechanic at Daimaru's Motorcycle shop, Zapper" Miyuki explained.

"A mechanic?" Chie exclaimed. "I was treated by a mechanic?"

"Well, he's one of the best in Japan and I'm sure Kyou instructed him on what to look for" Miyuki quickly assured the startled Chie. "Kyou had an important mission to run. She's gathering medical supplies from a supply house she knows in the ward."

"WHAT?" Chie exclaimed again. "Doesn't she know how dangerous it is out there?"

"Don't worry" Miyuki assured Chie, "Natsumi and Saori are along for protection and another officer from Saori's station is helping to load the supplies."

"Protection? What kind of protection could the two of them give? Chie wondered.

"We caught a break earlier" Miyuki explained. "Aoi rescued Onodera, the Chuo Rapist, from turning into one of _them_ and he took her to the illegal gun shop where he had gotten his pistol. They recovered a number of pistols and submachine guns and silencers to fit them."

"Silencers?" Chie wondered.

"It seems the walkers, as we call them, react to sound only" Miyuki said, "so having guns that don't make much noise is much safer out there."

"So that's why they kept chasing me!" Chie said, nodding. Then she asked Miyuki "Is there anything you need me to do right now?"

"I think we're good, Chie" Miyuki answered, "so why don't you go down to the cafeteria and get some food. It's been how long since you've eaten?"

"Ooh, right" Chie said as she felt her stomach. "I can feel it rumbling now. OK, good idea. Should I come back here?"

"I'll be moved in to the office they have me occupying for now by the time you get back" Miyuki told her. "We've formed into two sections, so see me when you get back and I'll tell you which one we've put you in."

"Sure, Miyuki" Chie said, smiling. "But why are you down here now?"

"Oh, I'm waiting for Kenny-kun to remove the old computer up there so we can set mine up in that office" Miyuki said, a big smile forming on her lips.

"What? Is there something I missed?" Chie exclaimed.

"Yes, I am going to be Mrs. Miyuki Nakajima" she replied.

"When did this happen?" Chie asked, excited.

"Earlier today, at lunch" Miyuki said with a silly grin on her face.

"That's what I get for fainting" Chie said, also grinning. "When's the big day?"

"Well, it won't be big, but it will be tomorrow morning" Miyuki explained.

"I guess there's no time to waste now" Chie observed.

Miyuki's phone rang. She picked it up. "Kobayakawa here. They're back? I'll be right down." She hung up the phone and headed for the door.

"What's going on now?" Chie asked.

"Natsumi and the others are back" Miyuki told Chie. "I have some important news to tell her. I'm going to head down to the back parking area."

"I guess I'll head to the cafeteria" Chie said as they walked out of the squad room together.

Miyuki arrived downstairs just as Natsumi gave her report of Sahashi's death. She came to attention with the other officers as they honored their fallen comrade. She decided that the news about Shouji could wait, since it was so sketchy. She headed back into the station.

Once the impromptu memorial service had ended, the Chief directed four officers to begin unloading the supplies. The Chief had noticed Saori sitting motionless in her seat since the four women had returned. He watched as Kyou and Kaname went over to the passenger's side of the van, opened the door and spoke softly to Saori. Then they helped her out of the passenger's seat and escorted her into the building, one woman on each side of the seemingly-catatonic officer. The Chief noticed the blood-stained bandage on her neck. He walked away from the group and motioned for Natsumi to join him.

"Tsujimoto, just what the hell happened out there?" he asked in a quiet voice as he watched the van being unloaded.

Natsumi too a deep breath and thought 'this is it'. She began, "Chief, part of is I don't know about. Saga accompanied the doctors and Sahashi into the building. I stood guard over the van and the entrance. I did learn that there was an intruder inside that had murdered the owner in an unsuccessful attempt to steal drugs. Apparently he had caught Saga unawares and was holding her with a knife to her throat."

"And where does Sahashi fit into this?" the Chief growled.

"He hadn't made it to the second floor, where the medications storage room was located, until after the intruder had taken Saga captive" Natsumi continued. "He was able to take him out with one shot."

Kachou turned to her, red faced at the last piece of information Natsumi had given him. "And just HOW was it that he was armed?" he hissed.

Natsumi knew it was now or never. She turned to face the Chief and looked him dead in the eyes. "I know what your orders were, Kachou. You did not want him armed at all. You also put me in command of this squad. That meant you trusted my judgment in tactical situations. _I _was there. _You_ weren't. I observed how Sahashi, once he saw the gravity of the situation, did exactly what you had hoped he would. He manned up and resumed being an officer of the Metropolitan Police Department."

The Chief said nothing. He just glared at Natsumi.

"We were short handed as it was and I could not be in two places at the same time" Natsumi continued. "I dared not risk a thief stealing our van, or a crowd of walkers make it impossible for us to return. I made the decision to arm Sahashi. It was my decision, and mine alone. I believe that, absent losing him to the contagion, I made the right decision."

"But your decision cost Sahashi his life" the Chief retorted.

"And I will bear the pain of that outcome for the rest of my life" Natsumi replied. "However, twice in less than thirty minutes, Sahashi saved the lives of both doctors and Saga-and potentially my life the second time. He made the decision that cost him his life, but he did it to save more lives than it cost. Looking back on the whole operation and considering what we had to work with at the time, I cannot see any other alternative. I am ready to accept any punishment you deem fit."

Kachou's face softened and his anger subsided as he listened to Natsumi speak. He saw the seriousness in her eyes-the grief she would carry every day, just as countless other leaders did-just as he did. He knew he was witnessing the death of the old Natsumi-the hard-drinking, hard-headed mustang that was hard to control-and felt like the midwife for the birth of the new Natsumi-the clear-headed, decisive leader that they would need in the coming days and years if they were to survive.

"Tsujimoto..." Kachou began, "Natsumi... if you could have changed anything-anything at all-what would you have changed that might have made a difference?"

Natsumi was surprised by the change in the Chief's demeanor and his question. She thought for a bit, replaying the last incident in her head. "If I could go back and change anything" she said quietly, "I would have made sure Masumi was trained properly in the use of a pistol. That was what caused him to make his fatal decision."

"How so?" Kachou asked, intrigued by her response.

Natsumi pulled the Beretta out of the cargo pocket of her pants. The spent casing was still stuck in the ejector port. She handed it to the Chief and replied "This is what sealed his fate. He didn't know how to clear this jam."

Kachou just stared at the pistol in his hand, shocked. He couldn't believe that Sahashi had abandoned a weapon that could be so easily cleared. He grew angry-angry at an organization that would so woefully prepare its foot soldiers for any emergency situation. He turned to Natsumi and asked "What would you do now?"

"I'd make sure that anyone that is qualified to carry a gun-any gun-be taught how to handle all guns" Natsumi said. "and I'd do it as soon as possible."

"Are you up to the task?" Kachou asked?

"Me?" Natsumi inquired, then she thought. "Give me some time to figure out the fastest way to get the training out."

"Take all the time you need, Natsumi" Kachou said. "I know you won't delay. You know how important this task is to all of us."

"Am I dismissed, then?" Natsumi asked.

"I have two other questions-make that three. Why is Saga the way she is? What is the bandage on her neck? Who is that stranger that's with you, and why do you keep referring to two doctors?"

Natsumi giggled. "That's four questions, Kachou" she teased. "Well, to answer the first, I don't know for sure, but I'd have to guess there's some sort of history between Saori and Masumi that we don't know about. Second, she got a superficial knife would from the intruder-but it was before Masumi took him out. Third, that's Dr. Kaname Ichinose, who is one of our most valuable weapons in this fight. She's an epidemiologist-Kyou says the best in Japan, but she may be prejudiced. They were roommates in med school and became lovers."

"Kyou's a..." Kachou gasped.

"Seems so-but she's devoted to Nami-chan" Natsumi said dryly. "By the way, I think you should assign them their own room tonight-and it might be good to make it a bit distant from the rest of us, if you want us to get any sleep. Finally, as I said, Kyou met her in med school. She graduated but failed the boards. I'm not quite sure of the reason why she's a nurse now. You'll have to ask her yourself. Oh, and it was Masumi who first called Kyou a doctor. He said in this new world, it's the skills that count, not the degrees."

"Kyou's a..." Kachou gasped again.

"Get over it, Kachou" Natsumi chuckled. "Though I'm sure that half of the station will be devastated by the news."

"Why is it always the pretty ones?" Kachou mused.

"Chief!" Natsumi cried out.

"Did I say that out loud?" Kachou asked, still red-faced, but for a different reason now.

"You're old enough to be her father!" Natsumi continued.

"Ahem. Tsujimoto, you may go now" Kachou said formally, trying to regain his composure.

Natsumi leaned over and whispered in the Chief's ear "Besides, you have Karouko." As she walked away, chucking to herself, the Chief's entire head turned deep crimson.

Kinoshita walked out of the station, passing Natsumi as she headed in. She heard a soft chuckle as Natsumi passed but didn't think anything of it until she came up on the Chief, who was still red faced from Natsumi's parting comment. "Are you alright, Kachou?" she asked him, concerned.

All Kachou could get out was "She knows."

"She knows?" Karouko repeated, then she turned back and stared at Natsumi's back as she went through the door. Gasping, Karouko turned back to Kachou. "How did she..."

"Well, she's worked under both of us and has gotten to know us pretty well, I'd say." Kachou replied. "Also, she's an intelligent girl and a great tactician."

"I guess you're right" Karouko admitted. "Do you think it will cause problems?"

"It shouldn't" Kachou offered. "Of course, we do have some people who are pretty much strangers here and I don't know them that well."

"We'll just have to wait and see" Karouko admitted. "Now, for why I'm here. I've heard some talk about Sahashi. Do we know if he and Saga had a relationship?"

"It's hard to say" Kachou mused. "She seemed pretty broken up over the whole incident. I know Kyou and Dr. Ichinose will watch over her in the infirmary. Perhaps they can learn the true story.

"There's also a rumor flying around the station that they are..." Karouko started.

"They are" Kachou said, nodding.

"Well, I hope there's no change in how people treat Kyou" replied Karouko.

"I doubt there will be much more than some broken hearts among the men" Kachou observed.

The last of the supplies had been removed from the van and one of the officers got in to park it. The two inspectors heard a noise from within the van, then the officer jumped out of it, screaming. He was followed by a black and white streak, hissing and spitting.

Natsumi was walking back out from the building as this happened. While everyone else was startled and confused, she smiled. "Aw, kitty, kitty. Did you get scared when you woke up?" she cooed. "Natsumi is here to take care of you." At the sound of Natsumi's voice, the cat turned and ran straight for her, jumping up in her arms to take refuge there.

"Where did that cat come from?" Kachou asked Natsumi.

"He's from the medical supply house" Natsumi told the other two officers. "He's the one that warned Saori twice, from what I understand. I couldn't leave him behind."

"I wouldn't have expected you to do so" Karouko replied, smiling and scratching the cat under his chin.

"Does he have a name?" Kachou asked.

"I'll figure that out later" Natsumi called over her shoulder as she turned and headed back to the building. "Right now, I'm going to see if I can contact of Shouji."

Natsumi raced up the stairs as fast as she could with her burden. She quickly walked into the squad room, where Miyuki was working on her computer at her desk. She looked up as her partner entered the room and said, "Welcome back, Natsumi, how did it... ooh, what a pretty kitty!"

"I'll tell you later, Miyuki" Natsumi said hurrying over to her desk. "Did Shouji call while I was gone?"

Miyuki frowned. "I'm not sure" she said. "There was a call about an hour ago at your phone. I got to it in time but the connection was too bad-I could barely make out a voice at all before the call dropped. I assume that it was Shouji."

Natsumi sat down at her desk, picked up the phone and dialed Shouji's cell phone number. She listened for a few seconds, then slammed the phone down. "Please try your call again! I never..." she exclaimed.

"Did you dial 9 first?" Miyuki asked.

"OOH!" Natsumi screamed. She reached for the phone again, but it rang before she could pick up the receiver. She froze.

"Natsumi!" Miyuki snapped. "Are you going to pick up the phone?"

"I'm afraid!" Natsumi wailed. "What if it's bad news?"

"Face it head-on, Natsumi!" Miyuki urged her friend.

Natsumi picked up the phone. "Tsujimoto here."


	21. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Digital noise blared from the earpiece of the receiver for a few second, causing Natsumi to pull it away from her ear. Then she heard a faint voice. She thought she heard a voice say "Natsumi?" She pulled it back to her ear and yelled "SHOUJI, IS THAT YOU?"

"You don't have to yell so loud, Natsumi." That familiar voice was as clear as if he was standing right in front of her. Natsumi couldn't help herself-she started crying as she shouted "I'M SORRY... I mean I'm sorry, Shouji. It's just... I'm just... I'm..." as she continued to cry in relief.

"Natsumi, I'm OK. Please don't worry" Shouji assured her. "I've just left the mountainous area. It was worse than I thought getting through there. I'm guessing I still have about four hours left before I get to Bokuto."

"I know what you mean, Shouji" Natsumi agreed. "I've seen a lot out there today."

"You mean you've been out in the city?" Shouji exclaimed. "Natsumi, why?"

"Doing my job, Shouji" Natsumi replied, a bit annoyed. "First, we had to rescue Honda, his daughter and two of her friends when they had a wreck just outside the station. Then I led a team to commandeer medical supplies for Kyou."

"Natsumi, why are you risking your life like that?" Shouji asked, incredulous.

"Shouji, I AM a Metropolitan Police Department officer!" Natsumi replied, now upset. "I have trained with the SAT and the JSDF Rangers. I know what I'm doing!" She was nearly shouting at him now. "And what about you? You're driving here all alone, in what? A truck?"

"It's a Humvee, Natsumi" Shouji replied, also upset. "I'm risking my life to help all of you!"

"So am I, Shouji, so am I!" Natsumi declared. She began to cry. "I'm just so afraid for you" she confessed.

"How do you think I feel, hearing about your exploits?" Shouji retorted. "I'm scared that when I get there you won't be there-ever again. I couldn't face..."

"You won't have to worry" Natsumi said, getting control of herself. "I'm not going anywhere the rest of the night. Shouji, I just miss you so much!"

"Natsumi, I'm not mad at you" he replied "you just caught me off guard with that news."

"Look, I know we're all on the ragged edge, Shouji" Natsumi admitted. "Just please get here safely-and as fast as you can!"

"That's my plan, my love" Shouji told her.

Natsumi's eyes began to tear again, but for a different reason. "I'll be waiting, my love" she echoed, then she got excited. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you! Miyuki and Kenny are getting married!"

"That's sudden" Shouji replied "but I can understand why. When are they going to do it?"

"Tomorrow morning" Natsumi said.

"I wonder if they'd mind a double wedding?" Shouji mused.

"I don't know, I'll have to ask..." Natsumi stopped in mid-sentence as the meaning of his question sunk into her. She started crying-again-and sobbed "Yes, yes, yes!" into the phone.

"Yes what?" Shouji inquired.

"Yes, I'll marry you, Shouji Toukairin!" Natsumi cried out.

Miyuki snapped her head up at Natsumi's statement with a look of delighted surprise. She jumped up as she began to cry and exclaimed "Oh, my! OH MY! A double wedding!"

"I'll see you as soon as I can. I love you!" Shouji said.

"Just get here safely! I love you!" Natsumi replied. The line went dead.

Miyuki ran to her best friend and the two of them hugged each other, crying with happiness. Kenny walked in just then, his sleeves rolled up and his face smudged with dust from moving the computer in the other office. "What's going on with you two?" he asked, puzzled at their display.

Miyuki looked up at Kenny with tears streaming down her cheeks and an enormous smile on her face. "We're having a double wedding tomorrow!" she exclaimed as she continued to hug Natsumi.

Kenny rushed to the two women and threw his arms around both of them. "Congratulations, Natsumi!" he cried out, laughing. They stood there in a group hug for a few minutes, laughing and crying. Finally Natsumi said "Guys, I have work to do. I need to write my report."

As they disengaged from each other, Miyuki said "I have to finish those plans, too."

Kenny replied "Yes, you do, so we can move the computer into your office." The three of them were smiling and giggling as they turned to their tasks. As she sat down, Natsumi suddenly went quiet.

"Oh, God! I forgot all about Sahashi!" she wailed as she stared at her computer screen. "How can I be so happy at a time like this?"

Aoi had walked into the squad room as Natsumi had remembered her fallen team member. She rushed over to the shaken policewoman, then leaned down and hugged her. "Natsumi, it's alright. We've all said it today" Aoi reminded her. "There'll be a time for mourning when we get through this ordeal. We have to hold on to the little things that keep us human and caring or else..." He voice trailed off.

The two of them stayed like that for a few minutes, then Natsumi leaned her head back against Aoi's shoulder. "Thanks for reminding me, Aoi" Natsumi said. She then heaved a sigh and sat up to write the report. Aoi stood up and walked over to her desk, then sat down at it. She opened up her file drawer and retrieved her P239 and shoulder holster, slipping them back on.

Miyuki looked at her monitor as she sat down and noticed the prompt on the screen. "It seems like the file is done printing" she stated. "Kenny, as soon as I shut the computer down we can move it" she told Nakajima. While she waited for the computer to shut down, she turned to Aoi and asked her "has Onodera been released from the holding cell yet?"

"Oh, yes!" Aoi said with a long sigh. "That was... um, interesting. I hope I made the right evaluation" she confessed.

Gendo Onodera listened as Natsumi and Saori escorted Sahashi out of his holding cell. He couldn't see much of what was going on as he was down the block of cells and only could only see a sliver of the area down by his companion's cell, but the sounds more than made up for the lack of visuals.

"Sahashi, we've come to take you to the Chief. He needs to see you" Natsumi stated flatly.

"I don't want to go and I don't have to..." Sahashi started to reply. Onodera heard a jangle of keys as the cell door was opened.

"Get up, Sahashi!" barked Saori, who sounded like she had gone in the cell.

"I said I don't want..." he repeated, then screamed "What the F***? Why you have a gun, Saori? Are you going to..."

"SHUT UP!" Saori screamed. "I don't need a gun to take care of you! I can take you down with my bare hands! This is to guard your sorry ass from the walkers!"

"What walkers?" Sahashi yelled.

"The ones we'll be running into when we leave the station" Natsumi growled.

"L... le... leave the station?" Sahashi stammered.

"C'mon, get up! The Chief will tell you all about it" Saori said with malicious glee in her voice.

Gendo heard a noise, followed by a loud "thump" that was punctuated by a cry of "Ow! That hurt!" from Sahashi. Gendo assumed Saori had drug the unwilling police officer out of his bunk and onto the floor. He couldn't help smiling at the picture of the petite woman dragging the taller man out of bed. He knew from experience that small didn't automatically mean weak.

Loudly protesting, Sahashi stood up and walked out of the cell. Gendo caught a glimpse of the officer walking out of the holding cell block, rubbing his left butt cheek on which he had apparently landed. He was followed by the two policewomen, both toting suppressor-equipped guns. Saori was still in her normal uniform but Natsumi had changed into fatigues that made her look like a JSDF soldier. The door closed behind them and the area fell silent.

Gendo laid back down on his bunk and mulled over the scene he had just heard. He wasn't surprised that Sahashi had been removed from his cell before he was. After all, even if he was being a disruptive force, he was still a police officer. Gendo imagined that the Chief would give Sahashi some task to redeem himself with. The only thing Gendo couldn't gauge was how much Sahashi _wanted_ to redeem himself. He had seemed pretty bitter about the state of the Metropolitan Police Department the whole time he was complaining to Gendo. When he calmed down a bit, however, Sahashi seemed like the type of person who would be willing and able to overcome a setback like the one he was experiencing.

Gendo laid there, staring at the ceiling and ruminating about his life. His perspective on it had changed a great deal in the last twelve or so hours. He had gone from being a smug-no, cocky-rich boy to a person who no longer knew his position in the world-or even if the world still existed in any recognizable form. He gave a bitter laugh. Hell, he wasn't cocky-he was a self-absorbed, arrogant bastard who had tread the line between being an evil person and turning into a full-blown sociopath.

But that all changed in the blink of an eye, it seemed to Gendo. More accurately, in the time it took to fire eight poorly-aimed shots from that P230 JP pistol-the one that almost doomed him. It was the one that alerted Aoi to his plight, though, and for that he'd be eternally grateful to her. Or... _him_?

When it came to Aoi, Gendo was of at least three minds. First off was the seemingly innocent young lady that he had stalked. The old Gendo had lusted after her. He had seen her as another target to conquer and debase, a somewhat shy, giggly woman whose suffering made Gendo feel superior, almost like a god. But even then, something had started to happen in his heart. He had begun to see her as a person, not just an object of rape, humiliation and dominance. He even began to have feeling of compassion for her, perhaps even love.

Of course, that was all swept away by the stern, powerful police officer Aoi. When she arrested Gendo for the series of rapes he had committed, he was taken aback by the sudden change in her demeanor, the hard edge that had sprung up like a weed. He remembered realizing how the hunter had become the hunted and the prey had turned out to be a bigger predator than he had been. Add to that the shock, surprise and humiliation of seeing the very male Aoi Futaba walk into that courtroom almost four years ago. Gendo recalled his mission was to kill him by the end of this day.

Those two views of Aoi were completely overshadowed by the life-changing moment he had experienced just a few hours ago. Gendo didn't need to close his eyes to see the horde of undead people that were just about to make him one of them. That sight would never, could never be stripped out of his memory. The only comfort he had when that specter arose was its ending: hearing the answering shots from behind the horde, seeing them drop one by one, and finally seeing the blood-splattered but angelic form of his savior, Aoi, as the last being standing.

Gendo struggled with trying to keep it from turning into something more than it really was. He could tell he was romanticizing his rescue, but it was so hard not to at times. Whether Aoi was biologically a man or a woman, Aoi was such a beautiful visage that Gendo had to fight the urge to fall head-over-heels in live with her... er, him... with the Aoi who was his guardian angel.

He lay on his bunk for a long time, struggling to turn all his thoughts and emotions into a coherent narrative. He was so deep in thought that he did not hear the footsteps come down the row of cells to his. He did not sense the presence of anyone else in the cell block until a heavenly voice called his name: "Gendo... Gendo..."

Gendo looked in the direction of the voice just as the delicate scent of her perfume entered his nose. Aoi was standing there, holding the key to his cell. She was a vision to him, and he sat up immediately. "Will I be let out of this cell, Aoi-chan?" he asked.

Aoi blushed a bit at the use of the familiar suffix but did not look down. "Onodera" she said quietly, choosing her words carefully, "the Chief would like to see you now. He wants to discuss the terms of your release."

Gendo saw the reaction to his use of her name and noted her reply. "Then, let us go to him, Officer Futaba" he replied politely. Aoi unlocked the cell door and swung it open. Gendo walked out of the cell and headed for the hallway outside the holding cell area. Aoi followed right behind him.

As they walked down the hallway, Gendo turned to Aoi and asked "Should we take the elevator or the stairs?"

'The Chief has asked that the elevators be reserved for emergencies and moving supplies to the upper floors" Aoi explained. "We'll have to take the stairs." She was relieved that she would not have to spend any time in an elevator with him. Aoi still had some lingering concerns for herself. She didn't know what Onodera might try to do and what might be the results.

They walked up the stairs as the had traveled the hall-Gendo in front with Aoi following right behind. At the top of the stairs, Aoi said to Gendo "Turn left here" then came up beside him as they approached the former Criminal Investigation Division offices. She guided him to the office where the Chief, Inspector Kinoshita and Inspector Tokuno waited to inform him of his fate. Gendo found himself getting a bit nervous in spite of himself.

When they came to the office door, Aoi opened the door and then stepped back to allow Gendo to enter first. She followed him and closed the door behind her. She directed Onodera to a spot facing the three officers then returned to a position by the door.

"Gendo Onodera" the Chief began, "we are meeting here to inform you of our decision concerning your continued incarceration. Due to the extreme nature of the present crisis we find ourselves in, we must act as the final arbiters of your situation. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do, Chief" Gendo replied.

"Good. First I will go over the list of charges" Kachou continued. "You are accused of violating your parole by attempting to contact witnesses in the trial of which you were seeking a rehearing; also by consorting with known criminals and possessing a firearm, specifically an illegally obtained semi-automatic pistol. Finally, you are accused of attempted murder of a Metropolitan Police Department officer."

Gendo felt beads of sweat form on his forehead. He hadn't expected such a formal hearing. His stomach began to churn as he contemplated returning back to the cell. Would they take care of his needs? Would they even remember him if and when they evacuated the station? He wasn't sure at all how this was going to turn out and it left him speechless.

"Now, we have noted that you were saved from a group of walkers" Inspector Kinoshita stated, taking over for the Chief, "by the selfsame MPD officer you had sworn to kill. Since that time, you have, by all reports, acted in a selfless manner. Of particular note is your leading us to a cache of weapons that have been instrumental in evening the odds between the walkers and our officers. You have also followed all instructions without protest and without fail. Furthermore, Officer Futaba has interviewed you and it is of her opinion that you may be trusted-that you would not jeopardize the safety of all here at the station."

Gendo nodded, tears beginning to form in the corners of his eyes. Aoi said he could be trusted, he thought. She can see that I've changed.

The Chief continued on, "Therefore, Gendo Onodera, we have decided to release you from incarceration. There will be conditions and limits on that release, however, and willful violation of any will result in a return to the cell. Do you understand?"

Relieved, Gendo nodded his head and said "Yes, Chief, I understand. What are the conditions?"

Inspector Tokuno spoke up. "These are the conditions you will live by while here in Bokuto Station. First, you will not be allowed to be anywhere where there are unsecured weapons. Any willful violation of this condition will result in immediate re-imprisonment or worse. Any accidental violation of this condition will be handled on a case by case basis. Do you understand?

"I do" was the reply.

"Second, you will have access to all areas of the station designated as civilian shelter areas. Areas designated as off limits to civilians will be forbidden to you unless you are specifically ordered or brought to that area. Do you understand?"

"I do" Gendo acknowledged again.

"Third, as there are a number of people from outside of Bokuto Station that have taken refuge here, we have decided to require you to wear a standard prisoner transfer jumpsuit so as we may be able to identify you anywhere at any time. This is not meant to bring any humiliation or degradation upon you but only to allow us to be able to locate you easily. We have a supply of the jumpsuits here so you will be able to change your clothes on a regular basis. Do you understand?"

Gendo had a bit of a frown at the reading of that condition but he replied "I do."

"Along with that, there will be a standing order that you are to be treated like any other refugee unless you are in violation of any conditions of your release. Any one found mistreating you will be severely punished."

"Thank you" Gendo said, appreciating the gesture.

"Finally, we will require you to contribute to the day to day work load of the station" Tokuno told the parolee. "This will include cleaning duties and any other duties for which you are fit to carry out. These will not be punitive but will be considered a show of good behavior. Do you understand?""

"Yes, I do" Gendo replied. I will be happy to help out however I can."

"Now, all of this applies to the confines of Bokuto Station and its compound" the Chief explained. "We will not be able to extend any protection if you were to venture outside the walls. We would consider that to be a rejection of your release conditions. However, considering the extreme danger outside the walls, we will not pursue you if you leave the station. You will be entirely on your own."

Gendo nodded at that. "I understand, Chief. Having had such a close brush to that fate worse than death, I know exactly what you mean. I will not give you any trouble."

Inspector Tokuno beckoned to Aoi and she went over to a file cabinet. On its top sat four folded orange jumpsuits. She picked them up and took them to Onodera, handing them to him. "Here are your new clothes, Onodera" she said. "I'll take you to the detectives' locker room to change. Don't worry, they don't keep any weapons there so I won't have to accompany you inside."

Aoi crossed over to the door and opened it. Gendo walked out and as Aoi followed, she said "Turn right, it will be the fourth door on your left." Gendo entered while Aoi waited in the hall.

He returned a few minutes later in a jumpsuit, carrying the other three and his street clothes. "What do I do with these?" he asked.

Aoi thought a minute, then told him "I'll take them and put them back in the Chief's office for now. If all goes well, you may be back in them soon."

"Do you think so, Aoi?" Gendo asked.

"I've noticed a change in you even from when I rescued you" Aoi admitted.

"Would you like to tell me about it?" Gendo replied.

"Well, I know the Chief wanted me to take you around and show you the off-limits areas, so I guess we'll be spending some time together" Aoi told him.

Gendo gave the news a little smile. "Also, I don't remember having had lunch yet, and it feels like it's time for dinner."

"Oh, you're right!" Aoi said as her stomach started to rumble a bit. "It's been such a chaotic day for me I completely forgot about lunch!" They arrived at the office door. "Wait here a minute, I'll just put these away." She opened the door without knocking and walked in.

As Aoi walked in, Kachou, Kinoshita and Tokuno looked up from where they were reviewing some reports. "Is something wrong, Futaba?" Karouko asked, a bit startled.

"No, Ins... Karouko" Aoi stammered. "I was just going to put Onodera's clothes where the jumpsuits were."

"Good idea, Aoi" said Kachou. "Make sure he knows this is off-limits unless we call for him or he requests to see any of us."

"Of course" Aoi replied. "By the way, would you mind if we both had an early dinner? I don't know if he had been given lunch and so much has happened I just realized I didn't have mine."

"No problem, Aoi" Karouko said. "Just don't take too long."

Aoi and Gendo walked into the cafeteria together. A few people looked up but did not seem to notice the orange jumpsuit, but they could see one or two heads shaking. They went through the line and found an empty table in a quiet part of the room.

They had been eating quietly for a few minutes when Gendo stopped and looked at Aoi. "You were saying a while back that you noticed a change in me from even this morning" he said. "What do you mean by that?"

Aoi put down her chopsticks and looked at Gendo. "It's true. I've noticed a great change in you, from when I found you in that doorway until now." She stopped for a minute to gather her thoughts. "You're not the same person you were before."

Gendo smiled at Aoi. "You mean I'm not the same self-centered bastard I was before, right?"

Aoi blushed. "I didn't mean it like that..."

Gendo chuckled. "I know. That's my evaluation of the way I was back then, which in this case was about nine AM this morning." He paused, then gave Aoi a pensive look and told her "I still can't quite understand just why I have changed so dramatically."

Aoi thought about the question for a few minutes. She looked at Gendo and said "I think I've figured it out. Up until today, you were always the aggressor, not the victim. Today was the first time you experienced being the victim."

Gendo mulled over Aoi's observation. "Yes, I guess I got to see it from a different side today." Then a look of horror spread over his face. "OH NO!" he exclaimed. "That was how the women were feeling when I was..." his voice trailed off. He dropped his chopsticks and covered his face with his hands. "Oh God!" he groaned "I was such a monster! I deserved to die!" He hung his head in shame and began to weep.

Aoi was startled by the sudden outburst. She looked around to see heads all turning their way as the man they knew as the Chuo Rapist sat there crying his eyes out. "Onodera, pull yourself together, man!" she hissed. "People are staring!"

Gendo picked up a napkin to wipe his eyes as he struggled to regain his composure. "But... but... you were right, Aoi. I can understand it now. I... I..."

Aoi was looking around nervously. "I understand, Gendo" she said to him softly. "You're right to shed tears of remorse for what you've done-but not now. There are people here who won't understand it and will use it against you."

"You're right, Aoi" Gendo replied. "I'm trying to get a hold of myself. It's just such a stunning revelation you've given..."

A patrolman from another station came up just then and interrupted Onodera. "What'ch cryin' about, big bad man?" he sneered. "No pretty girls to..."

"I don't know who you are, but you better stop right there!" Aoi snapped at the intruder. "Remember, the Chief said no one was to harass Onodera while he was here."

"And who's gonna make me stop, little missy?" the officer retorted. "Are you gonna run to your Chiefie and tell him what's going on?"

"That won't be necessary" a gruff voice came from behind the intruder. He spun around to take on the new person only to come face to face with the Chief. The officer stopped before he could utter a word, fear spreading through his body.

"Did you not hear my command clearly, Officer Araki?" the Chief questioned, glancing at his name badge. "What part of "leave Onodera alone" was unclear to you?"

"But... but... he was over here bawling like a baby and..."

"And what? You thought you could get away with it?" the Chief snarled. "You realize that with Onodera released from a holding cell there's one more open for the likes of you."

"I... I..." Officer Araki stammered, then turned to Onodera. "I am sorry for harassing you, Mr. Onodera" he said, bowing to Gendo. "Please forgive me."

Gendo looked at him with red-rimmed eyes that held a look of caring. "Officer Araki, I am very aware of our present situation and I am willing to put this aside and forgive you so that we may all find a way to survive together."

Stunned by the graciousness of the man he tried to attack verbally, Araki continued to bow and say "I am sorry, I am sorry" as he backed away from the table. Once into the aisle, he turned and ran out of the cafeteria.

"Gendo, that was very gracious of you" Kachou said. "Did you mean it?"

Gendo smiled. "I'm sure you can guess I was well-trained by my father in the art of verbally eviscerating a man while appearing sincere" he said. "However, the events of the day have given me a whole new perspective on life-a crash course, if you will. I meant every word I said just then. I want nothing more than for all of us to get out of this alive."

Kachou sighed. "You don't know how much I appreciate hearing that. You've justified my faith in Aoi's evaluation of you and my gut feeling. However, I didn't hear what was being said until the last. Just what happened?"

Gendo replied "I've learned more about myself since this morning than I've learned in all the years preceding. We were discussing that and Aoi gave me the key to understand myself-what I was and what I am now-and that key released something I thought I had lost forever-my conscience. The experience was so shocking I began to cry. I guess the officer saw an opportunity and misjudged Aoi's response to his act. If anyone knows how tough Aoi can be, it's me."

"I understand, Onodera" Kachou acknowledged "however, no offense, but I am leery of so-called 'battlefield conversions.'"

"No offense taken, Chief" Gendo assured him. "I understand I'll have to prove myself. I want to start now. Is there anything I can do to help out?"

Kachou thought for a minute, then checked his watch. "It's still early, but we have a number of futons that need to be set out for the night."

"I'd be happy to assist with that, and any other duties you feel I am suitable for" Gendo stated firmly. "I consider it the first step in my working to prove I've changed."

"Well, then" Kachou said as he turned to Aoi, "would you take Mr. Onodera down to the custodian's office and introduce him to Koichi Iwasaki. Tell him Onodera will be his worker for the rest of the day." Turning back to Gendo, he continued "Then we'll see where we can use you tomorrow."

Just then, Officer Ayane Hayashi came up to the three of them and said "Chief, I'm sorry to interrupt but I was sent to tell you that the team is back from the supply run."

"Thank you, Officer Hayashi" Kachou said. He looked at Aoi and Gendo. "I've got to go make sure they're alright. Aoi, you know what to do." He turned and followed Hayashi out of the cafeteria.

Aoi and Gendo cleared their table and then headed down to the custodian's office. Aoi introduced Gendo to Iwasaki and then headed back to the squad room, stopping in the woman's rest room to freshen up a bit. As she entered the squad room, she heard Natsumi wailing "How can I be so happy at a time like this?"

"So that's what I've been up to the past hour or so" Aoi concluded.

"Wow. You've had quite a day, Aoi" said Miyuki, "but what's troubling you about your evaluation?"

"I'm afraid Onodera's romanticizing the whole situation" Aoi confided. "That makes me worry about his long-term stability. If he develops a fixation on me, he could revert back to the old Onodera."

"I see" said Natsumi. "That is troubling." She stopped and stared at Aoi for a few seconds. "You seem so focused and... and... I just have to come out and say it, _intelligent_. What happened?"

"Alright, I have another confession to make" Aoi said, smiling. "I'm not as ditzy as I let myself seem to be. You know I went to Tokyo University, right?"

"Yes, on a basketball scholarship" Natsumi replied.

"True, but my major was Psychology... and I didn't add a Criminal Justice minor until my third year. That was when I became certain I wanted to go into police work."

"You have a degree in Psychology? Our Aoi?" Natsumi exclaimed.

"Actually, a masters degree" Aoi admitted. "I was about to start for my doctorate when I was asked to go undercover as a woman. I guess that dream is gone now."

"But... but..." Natsumi stuttered, shocked at the news.

"After the whole mess with Sahashi and then the Chuo Rapist case, I just needed to... to escape" Aoi said sadly. "Coming here was such a change, such a breath of fresh air that I guess I assumed the role of the ditz so as not to alienate you all. I'm sorry."

Miyuki smiled. "With all the turmoil in your life, I can see why you'd want to just blend in" she said. "Aoi, we love you no matter what."

Kenny walked into the squad room. "Mi-chan, your computer's all moved now. All you need to do is set it up."

"Mi-chan?" Aoi said. "I like it!"

Miyuki giggled. "It's cute, isn't it?"

Inspector Kinoshita stuck her head in the door. "Miyuki, It's time. We need those plans. Could you bring it up to the conference room?"

"I'll be right there" Miyuki said, hurrying over to the printer to retrieve a stack of pages.

"What plans?" Natsumi asked.

"The ones that may just get us safely to a new home" Miyuki said as she walked out the door.


	22. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Kyou and Kaname watched over Saori in the van while Natsumi made her report. Saori was virtually catatonic. The only sign she was not in a coma was her quiet weeping. Saori was crying but no tears fell-her tear ducts could not keep up with the demand.

Kyou looked at her senpai with concern. "Nami-chan, I've never handled anything like this before. I don't know what to do" she confessed.

Kaname reached out and stroked Kyou's cheek. "I know, Ko-chan. It's been a while since my rotation in Psych. I'm not quite sure what to do either. We have to get her up to the infirmary, however. Let's see if we can get her out of the van."

The two doctors exited the van and went over to the passenger's door. Opening it, they saw that Saori hadn't even put on her seat belt. Kyou took Saori's hand and leaned close to her ear. "Saori, we need to get you inside. Please come with us" she whispered in her ear.

Saori made her way out of the passenger's seat but just stood there once she exited the van. She clung onto Kyou's hand like she was about to be swept away by a strong tide. Kaname came to her other side and took her other hand and the two women linked arms behind Saori's back to support her. They headed towards the station building-thankfully, Saori walked with them. They would not need a stretcher after all.

Once inside the building, the three women headed for the elevator. Both doctors knew that their patient would never be able to navigate the stairs. Saori's expression did not change at any time, from the passenger's seat to the elevator. Her head hung down and her body shook slightly as she wept, but she walked with the guidance and support of the women at her side.

People stared at the sight of three women walking down the hallway arm in arm. Their looks were of concern-most of them recognized Saori and wondered about the reason for her present state. Was it so horrible out there that even someone as tough as her could crack?

As the two doctors entered the infirmary with their patient, Honda looked up for the desk. He was shocked to see the vivacious young policewoman being helped into the room by the two women. Kyou saw his reaction and asked Kaname "Nami-chan, can you get her to a bed yourself?"

Kaname, also noting Honda's reaction to Saori's state, replied "You go take care of him. We'll be fine." She guided Saori to a row of beds to their left as Kyou broke off to stop Honda at the desk.

Honda was on his feet and moving towards Saori when Kyou stepped in front of him with her arms out. "Toshiro, no" she said quietly. "Saori will be alright but let us take care of her for now. You'd just complicate things."

"Kyou, what happened? Is she hurt? Why does she look like a... like a..." Honda asked in rapid fire.

"Please sit down, Toshiro" Kyou said quietly but firmly. Honda tried to push by Kyou. She grabbed his upper arms and looked him straight in the face. "Honda, I will not let you near her in her present state. Please sit down!" She was still quiet but the strength in her voice made Honda follow her directions. He sunk back down in Kyou's chair, stunned. "Saori... Saori..." he began to repeat.

Kyou pulled a side chair up to him ans sat down. "Honda, snap out of it! We don't need you like that, too!" she ordered the man. He started whimpering. Kyou gave a sigh, then reached out and slapped Honda hard in the face.

"Ouch! What was that for, Kyou?" he exclaimed.

"I need you to pull yourself together, Honda" Kyou replied emphatically. "I know this is hard for you to take-I noticed how you've taken to Saori-but she needs you to give her some space right now."

"I'm sorry" Honda said, red-faced. "I... I... I don't know why..."

"Toshiro, it's obvious. You have feelings for her" Kyou replied. "I could see it the first time I saw the two of you together. I know you're concerned, but for her welfare, let Kaname and I do our work. Be patient and you'll get Saori back. I promise you."

"Thank you, Kyou" Honda said, relieved, then he asked "How did it happen?"

"You know that officer we had to take with us? Sahashi?" Kyou replied. Honda nodded. "He was bit by a walker saving Saori and she had to shoot him once he turned into one of them. It has devastated her and I'm not sure why."

Honda nodded. "Wait, I just remembered" he said emphatically. "After that meeting she came in here very agitated over Sahashi's conduct. I can't remember what she said, but it seemed a more severe reaction than what you'd expect if he was just a co-worker. I wonder if..." His voice trailed off.

"Well, our first priority is to get her back-then we can possibly find out the cause" Kyou explained to Honda. "For now, let us do our work. I'm sure that we'll call on you to help at some point."

"Thank you, Kyou" Honda replied. He continued "By the way. Who _is_ that other woman?"

"She's am old friend of mine, and one of the best doctors in Japan" Kyou said. "We came across her being attacked by a group of walkers and rescued her. Talk about a stroke of luck." Then she went to assist Kaname with Saori.

Honda got up from the desk and went over to the couch. He sat down and then just keeled over from the stress of the last few minutes. He laid there and thought about what Saori must have gone through. All of a sudden, he realized that he'd been so fixated on Saori he had forgotten about his own daughter! He knew that Megumi was safe with Sena-she was keeping the children occupied and away from all the drama-but he suddenly felt guilty for having let her slip his mind.

Honda jumped up and walked over to where Kyou and Kaname were discussing Saori's treatment. "Excuse me, Kyou, I'm not trying to intrude. I just realized I haven't checked on my daughter in a while. I'm going to look in on her and take her to eat if she hasn't done so yet."

"That's a good idea, Toshiro" Kyou replied. "Saori will be fine for now. Go be with your daughter."

Honda left the infirmary and began to look for Sena and the children. He asked a pair of policewomen walking down the hallway but they did not know where the children had gone. He asked two men, one in an orange jumpsuit, who were moving futons to the kendo arena for the evening. They were not sure but they thought they heard children at the end of another hall on the third floor.

Honda was getting frustrated with his fruitless search when he came upon Daimaru and Oshou sitting in an office, chatting. "Senpai" he asked his boss, "do you know where Sena has taken the children?"

"They're one floor up, on the north end of the building" Daimaru replied. "I think it's on the right side. Sena looked for a room that would look over as little of the outsides as possible. I know Megumi will be happy to see you again Toshiro."

"Thank you" Honda replied and hurried off to find the room. Once he got to the north side of the third floor it wasn't hard to find the room. The voices of Megumi, Maho and Yuuta drifted down to meet him. They sounded happy.

Honda walked into the room-normally a classroom for training lectures-to see the three children gathered around Sena, who was sitting in a straight-backed chair. She was telling a story without any books, remembering what she could and making up the rest. Scattered around the front of the classroom were some hastily-made wooden toys. They weren't carved but were cut out of blocks of wood. Honda figured they were courtesy of Daimaru. There were also some teddy bears around, and Yuuta clung tightly to one.

As he approached the front of the classroom, the children heard his footsteps and turned around. Sena stopped her story and looked up. Megumi saw her father and jumped up, squealing "Daddy!" as she ran to him. Honda knelt down and gave his girl a big hug, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Have you been good for Auntie Sena?" he asked.

"Yes, sir, we've all been good" Megumi said, beaming at her father. "We're all being brave, too-Auntie Sena said it would help you if we were."

"They've calmed down and we've been having fun all afternoon" Sena said, smiling at Honda.

"Thank you, Sena." Honda was still hugging Megumi. He looked up at Maho and Yuuta and could see the sadness in their eyes. "Come over here and get your hugs, too, kids" he called out, smiling.

Yuuta ran to him and Honda felt tears coming back to his eyes. "Thank you, thank you, Uncle Toshiro" he said over and over. Maho hung back, however. Honda kissed both children on the cheek, then stood up and walked over to Maho. Kneeling down next to her, Honda smiled at her and said "Maho, who's your friend?" Maho ran over to him, buried her head in his chest and cried. Honda looked up at Sena. She had a sad and quizzical look on her face but said nothing.

Megumi walked up to her father on the side opposite Maho and whispered in his ear "She's named it Shou." At that, Honda's tears began to flow and he hugged her tightly, knowing that witnessing her friend become one of _them_ had deeply affected her. Honda let Maho go and she just stood there, teary-eyed. Megumi tugged on his hand and the two of them went to the other side of the room. "Shou saved Maho" she said.

"How did it happen?" Toshiro asked his daughter, then quickly added "If it's too painful to remember, then I don't need to know."

Megumi looked over at her friend, still clutching the stuffed bear. "When the bad people came and started biting everyone" she told her father, "we all started running and looking for a safe place to hide. The four of us were together, but Maho tripped and fell. One of the bad people was just about to bite her when Shou shouted "Leave her alone" then he ran and jumped at him." Megumi's voice began to waver. "He knocked that bad person down but another one grabbed him and bit him. Then Shou became one of the bad people." Her lip trembled and her eyes teared up with the memory.

Honda hugged his daughter tight and rocked back and forth slightly as he said "I'm sorry, I'm sorry for making you remember that."

"I know, Daddy" Megumi said after sniffling a time or two "but what I remember is Shou being so brave and saving Maho."

"Stay here, I'll be back" Honda choked out, then stepped out of the classroom. He walked about ten meters down the hallway before collapsing on the floor, sobbing. "Even an elementary schoolchild showed bravery today to save a friend" he thought. "I will never let us forget him." Honda grieved for the selfless boy, then after about five minutes, sat up and took several deep breaths to calm himself down. He did not notice the three people who had watched him from the classroom door. They stepped back inside before he could see them.

Standing up and heaving one last sigh, Honda walked back into the classroom. Megumi ran to him and threw her arms around his legs. "I love you so much, Daddy" she said. "I love you, too" he replied.

"You know, it's getting late and the children haven't had dinner" Sena said to Honda. "Why don't you take Megumi and Yuuta to eat. I'll stay here with Maho."

"What about you, Sena?" Honda asked.

"Oh, we'll be along in a bit" she said.

Honda realized this would be a chance for Sena to try and talk to Maho alone. "That's what I came here to do" he told Sena, smiling. "Let's go, Megumi and Yuuta." They walked out of the classroom and headed for the cafeteria. On the way, they stopped at the infirmary, where Honda told Kyou about Maho. She agreed that Sena might be able to reach the shocked child but promised to look in on her later.

The three of them had almost finished their dinners when Sena walked in the cafeteria with Maho. Her face was tear-stained and she clung to her bear as tightly as before, but she was talking with Sena as she approached the serving line. When they had gone through it, the two girls joined the rest of them.

Megumi and Yuuta were happy to see their friend looking a bit better and encouraged her to eat, telling her how good their meals had been. As they were talking to Maho, Sena leaned over to Honda and whispered "I didn't realize what had happened at the school. How horrible!"

Honda suddenly had a flashback of the conversation with Kyou about Saori. "He's not the only one who sacrificed his live for a friend today" he replied. "Sena, I've got to check on a friend in the infirmary..."

"That's OK, Honda" Sena said, interrupting him. "You don't have to ask. Not only is it good for the children, it's the only thing that's helping me hold on to my sanity." Honda nodded, understanding what she meant.

"Megumi, Daddy has to go back to the infirmary to check on a sick friend" Honda told his daughter. "Sena will continue to watch over you for now. I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

"Is it Auntie Saori?" Megumi asked.

Honda was startled. "Why yes-how did you know?" he asked.

"I heard some policewomen talking about her" Megumi replied. "Please make sure she's OK."

"I will" Honda promised his daughter, "I will." He got up and left the cafeteria, headed for the infirmary.

Saori's mind was frozen in time. Her eyes could see, her ears could hear. She felt the touch of the two women coaxing her out of the van and into the building. All her senses were working, but her brain just refused to process any of the stimulation it was receiving. The only thing it could do was replay that one moment in time. The moment when the bullet entered Masumi's brow and his head exploded.

Saori had loved the FN P90 from the first time she got to shoot one at USSA. The weapon had a style to it that just fascinated her. She could handle it better than any other fully automatic weapon she tried. If she could have, she would have bought one for herself, so she was surprised and delighted when she saw it lying on the table as they armed themselves for the rescue of Honda and the children.

The only thing she hadn't anticipated... the only thing she had no experience with... was the terminal performance of the 5.7mm bullet when it penetrated flesh and bone. Sure, she had shot at least one of them with it before the supply run, but he had fallen backwards violently when he was hit. That camouflaged the effect of the round entering the walker's brain. Also, Saori was in "soldier" mode, concentrating on protecting her team mates and saving the civilians.

Masumi's case was very different. She wasn't meters away from her target, she was less than a meter from it. It wasn't a faceless, nameless body-a walking target-it was a person she had worked with, a person she had argued with, a person she had hated... a person she had loved.

To say that Saori could only see in her mind the instant of the death of the body of Masumi Sahashi was a bit of a simplification. She had other images that came and went, dancing around in her periphery and competing for her attention. There was the first time she met Sahashi, on the first day of her new assignment at Johoku Station. He was a good looking man, somewhat older than her, but something clicked in her mind. She was no longer a rookie who believed her work was her lover, that being a policewoman was her entire world. There was something about this man that attracted her.

He seemed friendly enough and each time Saori ran into him at the station he seemed to warm up to her, if only by a degree or two each time. She had never flirted before, not even in high school, so she didn't know what to do. She realized that too little was probably better than too much, so she kept her attempts low-keyed. After about two months, her quiet persistence paid off. Sahashi asked her on a lunch date.

That image was as clear in Saori's mind as the last second of Sahashi's life. They were having a good time, eating and getting to know each other. Sahashi asked Saori to tell him about herself. She was ding well until she got to the part where she reported to Bokuto Station as a rookie. At that instant, Sahashi completely changed. He became so cold to her it was as if he had been flash- frozen. "Bokuto Station? Did you work with Officer Futaba?" he asked her.

"Yes, I did" was her reply. She watched his eyes grow vacant and a chill ran down her spine. She wondered why that would change his personality so quickly. She watched him lay down his chopsticks and stand up. He pulled his wallet out and threw down just enough money to cover his meal. "I don't want to talk to you ever again" he said and walked out of the restaurant.

Saori was crushed. There was no explanation, no rhyme or reason. As soon as he found out that she had worked with Aoi, he shut her out of his life. She knew what she had heard him say, but she couldn't believe he actually meant it. She just sat there, staring at his empty chair until her partner discovered her 40 minutes after her afternoon shift had started.

Her chief was understanding, however. "I've seen it happen once before" he said. He was partnered with another officer until he found out that his partner had worked with Officer Futaba on the Chuo Rapist case. He was in here that same day, demanding a new partner. I don't know why Futaba is such a sore spot with him. I'd forget him if I were you, Saga" he counseled the despondent policewoman.

Saori tried to take her chief's advice, but it was impossible. She saw him every day and, except for official communications, they spoke not a word. Eventually, she couldn't stand it any more. She went to the chief and asked for a transfer. The chief's reply was simple.

"No, Saga" he said. "I can't transfer you out of here. Not unless you want to give up that spot in the cyber crimes division you've been trying to get the last few months."

"But Chief, you don't understand" Saori started, "I just can't..." Then she stopped. The chief smiled at her. "Did you just say Cyber Crimes?" With that, Saori was removed from day-to-day contact with Sahashi, but she still carried the dull ache of unrequited love with her until his end.

By now, Saori had been placed in a bed in the Bokuto infirmary. Kyou and Kaname were hovering over her, wondering what to do. They decided to give her a mild sedative and monitor her until they could understand her condition a bit better.

Kyou administered the sedative after she had persuaded Honda to go check on his daughter. It relaxed Saori's body but her mind was still in its endless loop of the first and last time she had seen Sahashi. She didn't know what to do, for she couldn't stop reliving the two worst days of her life. Finally the sedative did its work on her brain and the two competing images faded away into darkness.

After an indeterminate time, Saori detected a light in the infirmary. Her eyes fluttered open to see the ceiling bathed in a soft silver-white light. She looked around and the entire room was illuminated with the same light. It was beautiful-Saori had never seen such a light before. She also marveled at how the light hadn't hurt her eyes when she opened them. She lay there, letting the light soak into her very being, growing more peaceful with every minute of exposure to the glow.

Saori then realized that the light was coming from somewhere _inside_ the infirmary, not outside. She got up and swung her legs out to sit on the side of the bed when she discovered the source of the light. It was Masumi Sahashi-more correctly, it came from behind him but spread all around the room. He was standing there in his uniform-suddenly Saori realized it was the uniform he wore the first day she had seen him. "Sahashi... Masumi... is that really you?" she asked, hoping against hope.

"Saori, it is me, but it is also not me" Masumi replied. "This is my spirit, and before I go to join my ancestors, I want to set things right with you."

Saori slid off the bed and started to walk towards Masumi. "Set things right with me?" she replied, "I don't understand."

"Saori, I wanted you to know that I meant what I said back there at the medical supply house." Masumi continued. "I know it was too late for me, but I had to let you know... I have to make sure you know that I have loved you almost from the first time I saw you."

"But why did you treat me so cruelly that first time together?" Saori inquired, puzzled. "Why did you turn so cold to me?" Saori saw tears form in Masumi's eyes.

"I was a fool, Saori-that's all I can say" Masumi confessed to her. "I let my pride, my fear and my stubbornness rob me of the best thing that ever came into my life-you. I also regret deeply hurting you the way I did and robbing you of your happiness."

"I don't understand why, Masumi" Saori explained. "Why did knowing Aoi hurt you so much?"

"Perceptive as always, Saori" he said with a smile. "I can't explain it. My time here is too limited, for I have to go and make things right with Aoi. But he will tell you. I will ask him to. You'll understand, and you'll see why I knew too late that I was an utter fool."

"Masumi..." Saori said, reaching out to him.

"I also have to thank you for carrying out my last wish" Masumi said. "You can't understand what it is like here in the other realm. As long as the body is functioning, the spirit cannot leave it. It is still bound to the flesh. Only when the flesh dies can the spirit be released. You released my spirit, Saori. You have given me the ability to escape from this realm."

"Would you have not been released if someone else killed your body?" Saori asked.

"No, any death of the body releases the spirit. Remember that walker that fell off the building while we were trying to get past Kinshico Station? Or the ones you shot when we rescued Dr. Ichinose? Their spirits were released-in fact, most of them have already moved on."

"Then why me? Why me, Masumi?" Saori cried.

"It let me know that you still cared for me-you still loved me and didn't want to see me suffer" Masumi replied, smiling with a glow that lifted Saori's heart and let her understand his words.

Saori bowed to Sahashi's spirit. "Thank you for entrusting me with that duty. Thank you for giving me that honor."

"You are welcome, Saori Saga" Masumi said, "and know this-I have never loved anyone the way I loved you. That will be my eternal regret-that I did not show it to you until my last moments on Earth."

Saori ran up to Masumi and hugged him. She felt a warm, healing force move through her body and her mind. "I love you, Masumi" she whispered in his ear.

"One last thing" Masumi whispered back. "There is one who loves you as much as I do. He's very close to you. He has his own sorrows to work through, but he needs you to help him. Go to him."

"How will I know who it is?" Saori asked.

"It will be the one closest to you when you return" Masumi said. "For now, go back to sleep. He is not there yet. You will sense him when he comes. Awaken then." Masumi gave Saori a tender kiss. He turned to walk away as Saori went back to her bed. She fell into an immediate deep sleep as soon as her head touched the pillow, The last thing she remembered was the silver-white light fading like a sunset, turning to gold and then to deep crimson before the darkness returned.

Honda was walking towards the infirmary when he had a sudden compulsion to run-he didn't know why, but a voice in his mind... no, in his spirit said "Don't be late! She's waiting for you!" He began to tear down the hallway and skidded to a stop at the infirmary doors. He walked in as rapidly as he could and looked all over to see where Saori was.

Kyou looked up and smiled at Honda. "Go to her. She needs you. She's waiting for you." Honda rushed to Saori's bed, grabbing a chair as he did. He put the chair down and sat in it, taking the sleeping woman's hand. He sat there for a few minutes-perhaps five-staring at her face and wondering "Why am I doing this?"

"This is the one" a voice in his heart spoke. Honda recognized it as his late wife's voice. Was she telling him that Saori was the one for him?

Saori's eyes fluttered and she gripped Toshiro's hand tighter. Her eyes opened. She looked over at Toshiro and smiled. "I knew it'd be you" she said softly.

"Oh, Saori" Toshiro began. "How are you feeling? I... we were so worried."

"Toshiro, I'm better. I was heartsick about what I had to do to Sahashi but he came to me while I was sleeping and let me know that he is fine-I mean his spirit is fine."

"Shhh... Saori, just rest" Honda said to her. "You've been through the worst stress imaginable..."

"I know, Toshiro, and I now know why I had to do it." she replied.

Kyou and Kaname walked up to the bed. "Why you had to do what, Saori?" Kyou asked.

"Please don't think I'm crazy" Saori pleaded. "Sahashi's spirit just came to me and told me why I had to end his body's life. I now know it was the most merciful thing I could have done for him in that circumstance."

Kaname said "I've seen too much to reject the spiritual realm out of hand. I don't think you're crazy. Your miraculous recovery is proof there are other forces at work."

"I need to get up" Saori said, starting to move to the side of the bed. "I need to tell Aoi..."

"You're not going anywhere until you've spent the night here, Saga. Doctor's orders" Kyou said, pushing her back on the bed.

"I concur" Kaname added. "You now have a second opinion. Stay in bed!"

"Yes, Ma'am_s_" Saori said, defeated.

"I'll stay with you for a while longer, Saori-chan" Toshiro said, "but I will have to sleep with Megumi and her friends tonight. They might have nightmares and need me."

"And then tomorrow perhaps we can both help them through the night" Saori said wistfully.


	23. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Miyuki and Inspector Kinoshita walked into the conference room. Already seated at the table were the Chief, Inspector Tokuno, Kenny and two civilians-Daimaru Nakajima and Oshou. Kinoshita walked over to her position on the right side of Kachou and sat down.

Miyuki walked over to the opposite side of the table from the other participants. She laid her stack of papers on the table and looked at each of the people sitting across from her. Every face was a mixture of concern and curiosity over the report Miyuki was about to deliver.

There were two empty chairs among the participants. One Miyuki deduced was for Natsumi, the second-in-command for Inspector Kinoshita. She wasn't sure who the final participant in the meeting would be.

Kachou looked at the clock over the door and frowned. "Miyuki" he started, "do you know where Tsujimoto is right now?"

"When I left the squad room she was working on the after action report for the medical supply run" Miyuki informed the Chief. "I would imagine she'll be done soon."

"By the way, Miyuki" Kinoshita interjected, "did you make copies of your summary so we can all have one to look over?"

Miyuki frowned. "I'm sorry, Karouko, but I overlooked that. I could run back to the squad room and make copies for everyone. I can also see if Natsumi is finished with her report."

"Please hurry, Miyuki" Kachou said. Miyuki leafed through her stack of papers until she found her summary. She pulled it out and said "I'll be as quick as I can" as she headed for the door.

Miyuki power walked to the squad room and entered as Natsumi was standing up from her desk. "Is the meeting over already, Miyuki?" she asked her friend. "I'd like us to grab a bite and go over the wedding tomorrow."

"It hasn't even started yet, Natsumi" Miyuki replied as she walked over to the copier. "They are waiting for the guest of honor."

"Who's that?" Natsumi wondered.

"Silly, it's _you_" Miyuki replied. "Didn't anyone tell you?"

"No one told me anything" Natsumi asserted. "When did this come up?"

"Oh, right" Miyuki said. "I think the Chief announced it while you were on the supply run."

"When's a girl supposed to eat?" Natsumi whined, holding her stomach. "I'm already trying to do my part to conserve food but..."

"Kachou realized the time would be awkward" Miyuki told Natsumi. "It's a working dinner meeting."

"Well then, lead on!" Natsumi grinned.

"Just one more copy" Miyuki said. "There! I've made my copies. Let's go!"

The two policewomen headed down the hallway. "So, Miyuki, what were you planning for tomorrow?" Natsumi asked.

"Tomorrow?" Miyuki said. "I think we're going to have to find bigger transportation to be able to..."

"No, silly" Natsumi interjected, "for the wedding tomorrow!"

"Oh, yes!" Miyuki said, brightening up. "I haven't had much time to think about it. I was just thinking of a simple ceremony. We can have a fancy one later..." Her voice trailed off with the implication of "_if_ there is a later."

"Sounds good to me!" Natsumi jumped in. "Just get to the 'I do's."

"Besides, tomorrow may be insanely busy" Miyuki told her friend.

"How so?" Natsumi asked.

"You'll learn in the next thirty minutes or so" Miyuki said as the entered the conference room.

"Learn what?" Kachou asked.

"Natsumi was trying to get a sneak preview of my report" Miyuki explained.

"Well, she'll just have to hear it when we all do" Kinoshita said, smiling. "Sit here by me, Natsumi" she told her, indicating the chair to her right.

Natsumi walked over to the chair Karouko indicated and sat down. Her eyes were scanning everywhere. "Is something wrong, Natsumi?" she asked.

"She's wondering where the food is" Miyuki told Karouko. "It was the only way I could lure her here." Everyone laughed except Natsumi, who glared at her friend before changing into a sheepish smile.

"Don't worry, it's here!" a voice from behind Miyuki rang out. She turned around to see a woman holding the door open as one of the cafeteria workers wheeled in a cart filled with plates of food. "Sorry I'm late. We had to wrap up some cases in the infirmary" the woman said as she closed the door and walked over to the remaining empty seat.

"That's understandable" Kachou said. "Anything new to report?"

"I'm happy to say that Officer Saga is doing much better now" she began. "I think by tomorrow morning she'll be able to resume her duties. Officer Fujieda should be released by the time we finish the meeting-Kyou is giving her one last check-up, and Detective Sugihara is resting comfortably. He will probably be laid up another twenty-four hours. Kyou has already reported to the Chief about Officer Sagamiono. Aside from that, any other patients we've seen have only had minor injuries."

"Thank you, Dr. Ichinose" Kachou said.

"For the benefit of anyone who has not met her yet" Natsumi interjected, "this is Dr. Kaname Ichinose. We rescued her from a pack of walkers while we were on our supply run. She is the top epidemiologist in Japan and a good friend of Kyou's. Rescuing her may be the best stroke of luck we have had in this crisis." There was a round of greetings from the attendees who were just introduced to Kaname.

Kaname acknowledged the greetings and said "Kyou's briefed me on the situation with the infirmary and I was there to help collect supplies so I'll be able to fully handle any questions about that area of concern."

Miyuki handed a stack of papers to Kaname, who took one and passed the rest down to the rest of the attendees. She then walked back to the center of the table and began her report. "The papers your are receiving are a summary of what we will be discussing here, so you do not have to review them now" Miyuki started. "As you are all well aware, we are in the beginning of a crisis of mammoth proportions. While we have no firm grasp on the origin, course and possible outcome of this crisis, we do have information about the current state of affairs here in Tokyo as well as around the world. Various members of this group have been keeping tabs on what has been going on in the city. I would like the Chief to start. Kachou?"

Kachou took a sip of tea before he began. "I was in near-constant contact with Headquarters from the initial phone call until about 1400 today, taking or making phone calls at least every twenty to thirty minutes. As of 1400, and going forward until just before this meeting, there has been no answer at any of the numbers I have tried at Headquarters. We have to assume that it has, for lack of a better term, fallen." He looked at Karouko.

Karouko took up the narrative. "I was in contact with Senior Superintendent Arizuka on an hourly basis until 1330 today. At that time, he told me that he was concerned about the security of Headquarters and that he feared he would not survive the afternoon. He said that we were to carry on in the finest tradition of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department as he felt that Bokuto Station had the best chance of surviving this crisis, due to our secure compound and our unique group of officers." Her voice caught for a moment before she continued. "He wished us good hunting and thanked us for our years of devotion to our task of protecting the city and the people of Tokyo." At that, she picked up her napkin and dabbed at her eyes with it.

Miyuki said to her "We will always remember the Superintendent."

Tokuno then spoke up. "I had called around to many of the other stations in the city. Most were in chaos, if I was able to get through at all. Many of the stations had dispatched most of their officers to seal off the areas considered the most affected, such as Sumida ward. This left the stations unable to handle any breaches of security. As of an hour ago, I cannot reach any of the stations I had been checking on."

Natsumi cleared her throat and started "I called the Special Assault Team headquarters earlier this afternoon. Units had been deployed to the power substations and to Narita Airport, but communications with them was spotty. They had lost contact with the Narita detachment by 1500 and by 1615 I was no longer able to reach anyone at the headquarters. I can only assume that since we still have electricity that those teams are meeting with greater success, due to the security features of the substations."

Miyuki nodded and then said "I was in contact with the JGSDF Ranger platoon early in the day. They had received orders to proceed to the power generating stations and as of 1245 no one was left at their headquarters to respond to phone calls. As with the substations, we would have to assume they are still holding the generating stations secure."

Miyuki looked at each of the people sitting at the table. They all had grim looks on their faces. The news so far had not been good. She was concerned about how they would take what they were about to hear. "As you can see, the news about Tokyo is not good" she summarized. "This has been confirmed by what television news we have had a chance to monitor. The decision was made early on to restrict access to those reports as they could cause both panic and despair, especially for the civilians who have taken refuge here."

She continued. "We have also gained some idea of the spread of this... this... contagion in other areas of the world. Part of that has been through television news reports, but we also have a valuable resource in Oshou, who brought with him amateur radio gear-shortwave radios capable of communicating around the world. He has been trying to get a better feel for what is going on worldwide. Oshou?"

Oshou laid down his chopsticks and looked at the people sitting at the table, then looked at Miyuki. He said "First off, I'd like to let you know one of our refugees, an American named David Bennett, has been assisting me with monitoring radio transmissions. He is a ham radio operator licensed in the USA." He paused to let out a sigh. "Please excuse me for being blunt, but I know of no other way to say it. This appears to be a worldwide pandemic that has affected every corner of the Earth. The only continent I have not been able to contact is Antarctica. Whether that is good or bad, I cannot say. I have spoken to other ham radio operators in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Australia and the Asian mainland. All have the same report. The conditions are as we know them to be here."

"The most disconcerting reports I have heard are those of the rumors swirling around on the shortwave bands" he continued. "Every nuclear power is on their highest alert status, and as of now, reports indicate that communications with the President of the United States, who is on Air Force One, and the Premiers of Russia and China are sporadic. However, each of the superpowers blames the other one for the pandemic."

He stopped to take a sip of tea and let the implications sink in, then he continued. "I have heard that negotiations are supposed to be continuing; but that it is becoming increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain who is leading those countries and the negotiations. The fear out there is that a nuclear exchange will be triggered-whether sooner or later seems to be the only point of contention among the ham operators I have been able to contact in then last hour or two."

There were gasps from many of the attendees at the table. Miyuki sat down at a notebook computer that she had set up and started keyboarding. "I had neglected to take that into account in my earlier analysis of the situation. Let me see what needs to be revised" she said.

"Revised?" Karouko asked.

"Let me explain" Kachou answered. "After the Bee Number One incident, I asked Miyuki to develop our own set of contingency plans for various crisis situations. She has developed plans for everything from natural disasters, such as the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, to all manner of civil unrest-terrorist attacks, riots and even coup d'etats. Her computer has some of the most detailed and well-thought out scenarios and plans I have ever seen."

"Well, thank God that Miyuki is here" Karouko said.

"While I'm working on this, could we continue with the reports?" Miyuki asked as she continued to work on her computer. "Let's see. Who has the report on the situation here at the station?"

"I'll start with the medical situation" Kaname volunteered. "Kyou briefed me on what she was needing to get at the medical supply house as we went there. With the two of us, we were able to identify our needs and collect the proper supplies much faster than she had anticipated. Kyou, if you're not aware, was looking to specialize in emergency medicine when she was in medical school with me, so she knew what she needed to make the infirmary the equivalent of a military mobile surgical hospital. We have all the supplies needed to support over 100 people for at least two months, from medicine to bandages and just about every other item."

"What about blood supplies?" Tokuno asked. "When I saw the van being emptied I didn't see any boxes marked as blood supply."

"That's a good point" Kaname conceded. "The problem is, without constant refrigeration, any blood supply would spoil rapidly. We have to use the same concept as a military unit-we are a walking blood bank. We have the necessary supplies to do direct blood transfusions, if it comes to that."

"Now, since you are an epidemiologist, were you able to secure equipment to assist you in trying to figure out the cause and possible cure or prevention for this contagion?" Kachou asked.

Kaname smiled. "We were on the lookout for as much laboratory equipment as we could spare room for" she explained. "It's not the electron microscopes and such that I'm used to working on at the university, but I'll do my best to find out what is the cause for this contagion and whether I can devise a cure or vaccine."

"Anything else?" Kachou asked. Kaname shook her head. "Ken, would you go next?"

"I took on the task of counting the people present at Bokuto Station" Kenny explained. "As of this time, we have 62 people in the compound, and we are anticipating the soon arrival of Shouji Toukairin, which will give us 63."

"How many of them are police officers?" Tokuno inquired.

"I was just about to get to that" Kenny said. "All told, there are 21 officers that are assigned to Bokuto Station present at this time. That is less than half of our normal strength."

"It's actually about a third, I think" Kachou noted.

"We know of one confirmed fatality from Bokuto-Yorkio Nikaido" Kenny continued. "Based on attempts to contact the others by home and cell phones, we have to assume the others have succumbed to the contagion. As for officers from other stations, we have six at this time-you, Karouko, Saori, Chie Sagamiono and three others. Masumi Sahashi has also been moved to the casualty list."

"That isn't many from other stations" Natsumi observed.

"The department had been trying to get officers to live within the area of their stations" Karouko explained. "Most should have been able to get to their own stations in time."

"Now that does not count Kyou" Kenny mentioned, "as she is considered a civilian. Counting her, the cafeteria staff and the janitorial staff, we have seven civilian workers here at Bokuto at this time. That gives us 28 officers and civilians from Bokuto and six officers from outside of Bokuto-seven if you count Shouji. That makes 35 total. The rest of the 63 people here are civilians, except for two JGSDF troopers who couldn't get back to their base. One is a field medic and the other one is qualified as a sniper."

"Oh, the medic must have been that man who came into the infirmary as I was leaving" Kaname said.

"I had asked him to report there as soon as he finished his dinner" Kenny confirmed.

"And what about the trooper that's a sniper?" Natsumi asked.

"He'll be waiting in the squad room after this meeting is over" Kenny told her. "This is his name" he added as he passed a sheet of paper to Natsumi.

Natsumi looked at the paper then smiled. "I know Akira! We're damned lucky to have him here."

Miyuki looked up from her computer. "He's that good?" she asked.

"That good?" Natsumi replied. "He's the only one at the Ranger platoon who could match my scores! He almost beat me... once" she said, grinning.

"Now, what about food" Kachou prompted Kenny.

"Let me finish the census first" Kenny asked. "The remaining 26 civilians range in age from ten months to 74 years old. There are four children, including the ones Honda got here and the baby. One couple is from America, but they speak fairly good Japanese. Most of the rest were either in the station for one reason or another or were nearby-a few office workers and shop people."

Ken referred to some notes. "We have enough bedding for all 63 people, thanks to the futons that were positioned here after the Tohoku earthquake. It's been decided that the women will use the bunk room and the men will sleep on futons in the gym. The civilians will bed in offices for privacy as will the command staff.

"As for food, we have an adequate supply of food in the cafeteria for at least two weeks at present meal sizes" Kenny observed. If we get an influx of refugees or have to stay here past two weeks we may have to cut the size of rations."

"We hope to be moving to a new, more secure location long before then if this runs more that a few days" Kachou told the group. "We'll bring what foodstuff we can carry with us when we leave."

"So it's been decided that we're going to abandon Bokuto?" Natsumi inquired with a concerned look on her face. "We could ride this out very comfortably if it doesn't last too long."

"The problem is, Natsumi" said Miyuki, still working on her computer, "we don't know how much longer the electricity and running water will be available here. We need to have a plan in place to get out of here as soon as we can to get to a more secure area that is able to support us long-term."

"That brings us to the problem of transportation" Kachou said. "We do not have adequate vehicles to carry so many people and the supplies needed to relocate to a more secure location."

"That's where I come in" said Daimaru. "Tokuno and I have been brainstorming what we can do to move all of us to safety. We've looked at a number of different scenarios and the one we keep coming back to is using a pair of buses to transport all the people. If we used two, we could load the remaining space with supplies."

"Where are we going to get these buses?" Kachou asked.

"I'd just look for some abandoned city buses" Tokuno said. "I don't think the Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation would mind us "borrowing" a couple of Toei buses to use."

"Normally, that's be a good idea" said Miyuki as she closed her computer. "However, with the threat of an EMP blast, it would be prudent to try and find older buses that don't rely on electronics."

"EMP?" Tokuno asked, puzzled.

"Electromagnetic Pulse" Miyuki explained. "A nuclear blast in the upper atmosphere could send out a burst of radiation so strong that it could disable all electronics across a wide area-possibly hundreds of miles. That means computers, cell phones, digital radios, electronic ignitions-even pacemakers would stop working in an instant. Only older, non-electronic machines and devices would still work. We'd be plunged back almost a hundred years into the past."

"I know just the thing" said Oshou, stroking his chin.

"What is it, Uncle?" Kachou asked.

"There's this mission school about a kilometer from the temple" Oshou said. "They have two older diesel powered school buses. They were imported in the 1960s, if I recall correctly. If the school didn't use them to evacuate itself, we could use them. However, I don't know if they'd need work."

"It's been a long time since I worked on a diesel engine" Daimaru interjected, "but I'm sure it'd come back to me."

"I'd be able to help, too" said Miyuki.

"Do you think the buses are still there, Uncle?" asked Kachou.

"I talked with the headmaster of the school last week" Oshou replied. "I think he said they'd be taking a spring break this week, so there's a good chance they might still be there. It's a small school now, so even if they took one, there would be at least one for us to use."

"See if you can contact the headmaster, then" Kachou asked his uncle.

"I'll try as soon as we're done" he replied.

"I think that all that is left is security and anything Miyuki would need to add" said Kachou. "Natsumi, you're handling that, right? Did you have time to get anything done?"

"Yes, I made sure to get started before the supply run and I finished it up after my report" Natsumi replied. "Right now, we have a good security system in place but I've identified some areas that need to be improved. First off, while it is good to have the front gate manned, we've seen what can happen when the person there is not prepared for what they will experience."

"That was my fault" Karouko interjected, her cheeks reddening. "Sakura was so intent on helping out that I didn't take into account her inexperience."

"Funny you should mention that, Karouko" Natsumi told her. "I spoke with Sakura after she had come out of her shock and she said the same thing-that it was her fault for insisting to be put to use too soon. I think the truth lies somewhere else. If we only rely on experienced officers to pull such duty, we'll burn them out quickly and the new, inexperienced officers will not be able to get the experience under the guidance of their more experienced senpais. Therefore, I've instituted a new schedule for gate guards. There are now two people on the front gate-one experienced and one that needs to gain experience."

"That's a wise move, Natsumi" Kachou said admiringly. "Not only are the less experienced officers getting broken in, they have someone out there to rely on in times of stress."

"Another good point, Kachou" observed Natsumi. I didn't have it in the front of my mind when I set it up but now that you mention it, I can see that part of Sakura's problem was her being left alone at the gate. That was something none of us could anticipate."

"Anything else, Natsumi?" Miyuki prompted her friend.

"Thank you, Miyuki" Natsumi said. "Another improvement I've decided to implement is an overnight sniper overwatch. A sniper will be posted above the front gate from 2000 to 0800 every night while we are in the compound. They will be a back-up for the two guards at the gate itself."

"Why only overnight?" Kachou asked. "Wouldn't the sniper have trouble seeing in the dark?"

"Normally, yes" Natsumi acknowledged "but the streets immediately outside the front of the compound are so well illuminated that it won't be a problem in this case. Also, the overwatch will have communications with the gate guards so they can alert the guards to any activity outside the wall."

"Do we have enough qualified officers?" Karouko asked.

"With the name that Kenny gave me, we will have enough so we won't have to use everyone every night. We have Miyuki, Chie Sagamiono, Nobuyuki Sugihara, Akira Miyazawa from the JGSDF and myself. By tomorrow night, we'll be able to add Shouji and Saori to the list."

"I had forgotten Sugihara had qualified as a sniper" Tokuno said "but Sagamiono?"

"She's not officially qualified, but she has as much if not more time behind a rifle scope than any of us" Miyuki explained. "She also was a finalist for the Olympic biathlon team two years ago-she missed out by two one hundredths of a second from making the team."

"_That_ was Chie?" Karouko asked, surprised.

"Yes it was, Karouko" Natsumi replied.

"Is that all you have, Natsumi?" Kachou asked.

"There's one more thing I need to address" Natsumi said, her face taking on a grim look. "That is a fundamental flaw in the training of MPD police officers that cost Masumi Sahashi his life."

"What is that, Natsumi?" Karouko inquired.

"Sahashi was trained and qualified on revolvers only" Natsumi replied. "He was never trained in stoppage drills for semi-automatic pistols. When we were swarmed by a group of walkers at the medical supply house, he got a stovepipe jam with his pistol. Since he didn't know how to clear it easily, he dropped his gun and bodily attacked a walker threatening Saori. That was when he was bit."

"So what can we do about that?" Tokuno asked.

"What we _can't_ do is give everyone the proper training" Natsumi replied. "We don't have the time or the ammunition to do that. What we can do is to demonstrate the procedure and let the necessary personnel practice with dummy rounds in the pistols. I happen to have enough fired shell casings to make a sufficient number of dummy rounds so we can give all who need it some training."

Tokuno spoke up. "Natsumi, back in my rookie days we used to practice with wax bullets. Now they won't cycle the slide on a pistol but they might give a more realistic experience for your training. I'm sure we have emergency candles here that we can use to make the bullets. They don't use gunpowder, just primers, and are no louder than a cap pistol-but they can be very accurate and give the officers a sense of when they've done the stoppage drill right."

"How are we going to make them?" Natsumi countered. "We just can't run down to the corner store and buy some wax."

"We have a couple of cases of emergency candles in a storeroom in the basement" Tokuno said "and we'd only need about a dozen or so. I can get a couple of detectives to help me make them and we could have them ready for tomorrow morning."

"Will they load in the chamber when you cycle the slide by hand?" Natsumi wondered.

"I'll make sure they do" Tokuno assured her.

"And we're just using the P230s" Natsumi said.

"Why them?" Karouko asked.

"They're the only pistols for which we don't have suppressors, so they're only good as last ditch protection otherwise" Natsumi told her.

"Sounds good to me" admitted Kachou.

"Same here" agreed Tokuno.

"If they like it, I guess I'll make it unanimous" added Karouko.

"Fine, that's done" said Kachou. "Anything else, Natsumi?"

"I've covered all I have" she replied.

"So what do we have, Miyuki?" Kachou inquired.

"I think we've covered all the main points as well as we could at this time" Miyuki told the group. "I'll have the updated summary completed and distributed before I go on watch in..." She looked at her wristwatch. ""Twenty minutes. Otherwise, I'm done."

"One last thing" Kachou said. "This concerns both of you" he said, looking at Natsumi and Miyuki before breaking into a smile. "What time are the weddings tomorrow?"

Miyuki's cheeks grew a little red and Natsumi got a "deer in the headlights" look. They looked at each other. "We haven't set a time yet" Miyuki admitted.

"I'd like to get it done as soon as we can tomorrow" Natsumi said, shaking off her startled look. "How about you, Miyuki?"

"Yes, I'd like to do it before we go to retrieve the buses" Miyuki confided.

The rest of the group looked at each other, then Kachou spoke up. "How about 1000 tomorrow?"

"Sounds good to me" Miyuki beamed. "How about you, Natsumi?"

"I just hope Shouji gets here in time to get some sleep before the ceremony" Natsumi said wistfully.

"I'll make sure he gets there" Kenny offered.

"Sounds like it's all settled" Kachou proclaimed. "Meeting adjourned."


	24. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Natsumi went over to where Dr. Ichinose was sitting as the meeting broke up. Kaname looked up quizzically from the papers she was gathering to take back to Kyou. "Yes, Natsumi?" she asked.

"I'm heading over to the infirmary to check on Sakura and Saori" Natsumi explained "and I thought I'd walk with you-if you're going back there, that is."

Kaname smiled as she stood up. "Yes, I'm headed back to the infirmary. I'd love to have you accompany me." The two women walked out of the meeting room.

As they walked down the hall, Kaname asked Natsumi "How long have you known Ko-chan?"

Natsumi thought for a few seconds. "I think it's about a year and a half since she came to work here" she recalled. "I think she transferred here from another station."

"I see" Kaname said. "So you don't know how long she's been working as a nurse for the MPD?"

"I've gotten to know Kyou fairly well" Natsumi replied "but the subject of how long she's worked for the department never came up."

"Hmm..." Kaname said, stopping in the middle of the hallway.

"What is it?" Natsumi inquired, "Or is it none of my business?"

"Well, I graduated from medical school seven years ago and Ko-chan was a year behind me" Kaname reminisced, "so she graduated six years ago. If she took her boards at the first opportunity, she'd have taken them that November. So that means..." Her voice trailed off as she was figuring something out in her head.

"Means what?" Natsumi asked, her curiosity now piqued.

Kaname got a sad look on her face. "How could she have done it?" she said to herself as much as to Natsumi. "It must be a crushing weight."

"Weight?" Natsumi asked, puzzled.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Natsumi" Kaname said, shaking her head slightly as if to clear it, "I was just wondering how Ko-chan managed to keep up on her student loans. Medical school is terribly expensive, you know." They resumed walking towards the infirmary.

"She did bring her lunch from home a lot" Natsumi admitted. "I thought she just liked to cook or she wanted to watch her weight."

"Oh, she wouldn't need to do that" Kaname told Natsumi as they walked through the door of the infirmary. "Ko-chan always ate like a bird."

"Yes, I saw her bentos" Natsumi replied. "Her entire meal would be my appetizer!"

Kyou looked up from her paperwork as she heard the conversation. She grinned as the two women approached her. "What she's not telling you, Natsumi, is that it's a scientific fact that some birds eats three times their weight-or more-every day."

"What?" Natsumi exclaimed.

"It's true-look it up" Kaname said.

"So I can say I eat like a bird, too?" Natsumi asked.

"You definitely eat like a sparrow preparing for migration" Kyou said, chuckling.

"Wow! I eat like a bird! I can't wait to tell Miyuki that!" Natsumi exclaimed.

"Now that we've had our avian biology lesson for the day, how may I help you, Natsumi?" Kyou asked, still chuckling.

"I've come to visit Sakura and Saori" Natsumi replied, "if they're still here and if it's alright with you."

"Sure it is" Kyou assured her. "I'm just finishing up Sakura's paperwork. She'll be fine for anything but gate duty by herself."

"I have increased the staffing at the gate to two people at night and a partner for any inexperienced person in the daytime" Natsumi told Kyou. "I don't want a repeat of what happened to Sakura. "It was just the "fog of war" that left her at the gate alone."

Sakura's head poked out of a curtain a few beds down from the desk. "Did I hear someone say my name?" she asked, smiling. "Am I released?"

Kyou signed her name on the form. "You are now, Sakura" she told the officer.

Sakura turned to look at someone standing behind the curtain and said "I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat." She walked out from behind the curtain and down the aisle between the rows of beds. The curtain rustled as the other person walked to the aisle. It was Teizou Samejima, and he was smiling.

"Slow down, Sakura-chan" he called to her. "The cafeteria will be open for a while yet."

Natsumi broke out into a big smile. "I'm glad to see you're up and about, Sakura" she said.

"I am, too" Sakura replied "and I have Kyou and Teizou to thank for that."

"Teizou did the lion's share of the work" Kyou interjected.

"I just helped her calm down" Teizou insisted as his cheeks turned pink.

"Whatever you did, I'm glad it worked" Natsumi said to Teizou. Then she leaned over to Sakura and in a stage whisper said "Great catch, Saki!" It was Sakura's turn to blush.

"It's not like that, Natsumi" Teizou said wistfully. "At least not yet."

Sakura stepped beside Teizou and took his arm in hers. "But it's a start!" she said, beaming at Teizou. They walked out of the infirmary.

Natsumi turned to the two doctors. "Who knew?" she mused.

"We know better than most how love can just blossom out of the..." Kyou said, then looked at Kaname.

"Out of the oddest situations, Ko-chan" Kaname added.

"I hear you there, girlfriends" Natsumi agreed. The three of them laughed. "Well, I'm glad to see that Sakura is up and about. May I go see Saori?" she asked.

"Please do!" rang out a voice from behind another curtain. "I'm so bored right now!" Saori added.

"You have your answer, Natsumi" Kaname said. Then she went over to Kyou's desk and sat down in the chair beside it. "Let me fill you in on what was gone over at the meeting. Luckily, Miyuki had summaries to hand out."

"That wasn't luck" observed Kyou. "Miyuki is about the most prepared person I've met-after you, that is!" she added.

As the two doctors went over the summary of the meeting, Natsumi made her way to Saori's bed. She found the policewoman sitting up with a dour look on her face. "Are you feeling OK, Saori?" she asked.

"I keep telling them I'm fine but they say I have to stay here overnight" Saori moped. "Senpai, could you _please_ tell them I'm fine now and I can go back to work?"

"You may feel fine but we still need to keep you under observation until tomorrow morning" came Kyou's voice from the other side of the room.

"See?" Saori grumbled.

"Well, we now have _two_ doctors" Natsumi said. "You could ask Kaname her opinion."

"If it was up to me, I'd keep her for a full 48 hours" came another voice from beyond the curtain.

"Sorry, Saori" Natsumi told her. "You've been outvoted two to one, but at least you have a comfy bed to sleep in tonight."

"Have you laid in one of these beds for more than an hour?" Saori shot back.

"Look, Saori, you'll get out of here by breakfast tomorrow" Natsumi told her. "You won't miss our wedding or the next run we need to do outside the perimeter."

"_Our_ wedding?" Saori said, puzzled.

"Oh, you haven't heard" Natsumi explained with a smile on her face. "In addition to Miyuki and Kenny, Shouji and I are getting married tomorrow, too."

"You are?" Saori said, her eyes wide. "Wow! Congratulations, Natsumi! So Shouji's arrived?"

Natsumi's smile faded away in an instant. "No, he's not here yet. He called when he got out of the mountains. The cell phone service has gone to hell. It was like talking on a walkie-talkie, but he proposed to me over the phone."

"You'll have such stories to tell your children" Saori said.

"Oh, by the way" Natsumi said, changing the subject quickly, "How's your marksmanship skills with a scoped rifle?"

"I'm pretty good out to 600 meters" Saori said. "I had to go to a different range to practice that but there's a 600 meter range near USSA at the Red Castle Gun Club, and Mike Seeklander helped me get into it for training."

"I don't know any of these places you're talking about but I wish I could have gone to them, too" Natsumi said with a touch of envy.

"Senpai, I could never be as good as you" Saori told her friend.

"As good as me? You are, in my opinion" Natsumi admitted, "better than me... I don't know about that" she ended, smiling.

"Why do you need to know about my long range skills?" Saori asked.

"I've set up an overwatch position to assist the gate guards in the nighttime" Natsumi explained "and I need expert shots to staff it. I've got you scheduled for tomorrow night, so get all the rest you can, Saori."

"Alright, I will" Saori said, though she was still dejected. Her face suddenly brightened up and she smiled as she exclaimed "Toshiro! You're back!" Natsumi turned around to see Honda at the foot of the bed.

"Yes, I'm back Saori" Honda said, then he saw Natsumi. "Hello, Natsumi. Checking on your friend?"

"Hi, Honda" Natsumi replied. "I'm just making sure she'll follow the doctors' orders and stay in bed until morning."

"Don't worry" Honda said. "I'm sleeping here tonight so I'll make sure she stays put."

"Sounds good to me" Natsumi told him. "I've got to head on up to the overwatch post and make sure Miyuki is settled in. See you tomorrow morning!" With that, she walked out of the curtain.

"You're sleeping in the infirmary?" Saori asked. "What about the kids?"

"We're all sleeping here tonight" Honda replied. "The beds are not being used and I'll be able to keep an eye on you and Fujimura for the doctors."

"Well, then" Saori smiled, "you won't have to worry about me! I suddenly feel this need to stay put for the night."

Miyuki had stopped in at the temporary armory set up in one of the office rooms to pick up her rifle. Kirishima was sitting at the desk in the room and looked up as she came in. "Hi, Miyuki. You're taking the first watch, right?" he asked.

"I'm about to go up to the post" Miyuki replied, then added "by the way, do we have any other rifles I could use?"

"We do, but why would you want to change now?" Kirishima inquired.

"Well, I found only having two magazines holding four rounds each was limiting" Miyuki explained. "I was hoping to maybe use one of the semi-autos."

"The only problem is that the Steyr is the only sniper rifle here that can take a suppressor" Kirishima told Miyuki. "However, we did find a few more magazines-oh, and I found out it actually holds five rounds."

"Well, then, it'll have to do" Miyuki sighed, slinging the rifle over her shoulder as Kirishima gave her a backpack containing the spare magazines, binoculars and a radio. "I hope it's quiet tonight" she said as she walked out of the armory.

Walking down the hallway, Miyuki decided that with the load she had, she needed to use the elevator to get up to the top floor instead of the stairs. She made her way to the elevator door and reached out to press the "UP" button when she heard a voice from down the hall call out "Miyuki!" She jumped a bit, startled by the person calling her name. She turned around to see Karouko headed towards her.

"I'm glad I caught you before you went up on the roof" Karouko told Miyuki. "There's been a change in the room assignments for tonight. You'll move one room to be in the room next to Kachou."

"The room next to Kachou" Miyuki repeated nervously.

"Are you OK, Miyuki?" Karouko asked.

"Ah, well... Um... I was thinking of using the elevator to go up to the top floor" Miyuki stammered.

"And?" Karouko prompted her.

"Well" Miyuki replied, "I know we're not to be using the elevator, to keep it clear for..."

"Miyuki, relax" the older woman said. "It's obvious that you have a heavy load-what is that? 25 or 30 kilos?"

"Oh, it's not that heavy" Miyuki observed, hefting the backpack.

"But when you add the gun..." Karouko pointed out. "I just mean you don't need to get tired out by lugging all that up all those stairs. Don't worry about it."

Miyuki smiled nervously. "Thank you, Karouko."

"Is there something else bothering you?" Karouko inquired.

"No... Um, I mean not really..." Miyuki sighed. "I think the reality of what is happening has finally hit me."

"I understand, Miyuki" Karouko said encouragingly. "I know it's been an unbelievably insane day and we've faced so many dangers. Are you sure you're up to this?"

"What?" Miyuki said, staring at Karouko before starting to giggle. "No, no. I meant the reality of finally marrying Kenny-kun tomorrow morning!"

Karouko shook her head and laughed. "Here I thought the pressure of having to fight _them_ was getting to you and all it is is a case of the pre-wedding jitters!" Both women laughed.

"Well, I know what to do about _them_" Miyuki said, still laughing "but I'm suddenly faced with the realization I don't know what to do as a wife!"

Karouko leaned over and pressed the "UP" button. "Relax, Miyuki" she told the nervous bride. "I think you two will do splendidly together." The doors opened and Miyuki stepped in the car as Karouko continued "just take it one day at a time and do what comes naturally!"

Miyuki nodded, then suddenly blushed. "Karouko!" was all she could say before the doors closed. Karouko chuckled, hoping the double entendre would ease the doubts welling up for Miyuki.

Miyuki still had to go up one flight of stairs to get to the roof, where she was met by an impatient Natsumi. "What took you so long, girlfriend?" she snapped.

"Karouko stopped me as I was getting on the elevator" Miyuki explained, still smiling. "She wanted to tell me my sleeping quarters have been changed for tonight."

"OK, I see" Natsumi replied brusquely. "Let's get you set up."

Miyuki stopped and looked at her friend. "Are you as nervous about tomorrow as I am?"

"What? Who, me? I'm not..." Natsumi exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her. "I'm just... I'm just..." a panicked look came over Natsumi's face as she said "...terrified!" Then she burst into tears.

Miyuki grabbed both of Natsumi's hands and looked her in the eyes. "Pull yourself together, girl!" she said firmly. "We'll make it through together. Remember, I'll be right there beside you!"

Natsumi stopped crying and looked at her partner and friend. "That's right!" she exclaimed "you'll be there, too!"

"That's right" Miyuki replied "and we'll get through it together." With that being settled, the two women went over to the position Natsumi had picked for the sniper post. There was a chair set by the low wall surrounding the roof and a table set next to the chair. Miyuki laid out the contents of the backpack and hung the bag on the back of the chair.

"Will this be suitable, Miyuki?" Natsumi asked.

"I think so" Miyuki replied. She unfolded the bipod on the gun and positioned it on the wall. "Hmm" she said "since I'm going to have to cover such a wide area I wish there could be a bit more surface on which to place the bipod."

"Would the table work in front of you?" Natsumi suggested.

"No, it's too high" Miyuki explained. "You'd have to stand up to get any shots near to the gate. I'll try this set up out and see if works and I'm just worrying for nothing."

"OK, just let me know tomorrow how it went" Natsumi said. Her cell phone ran just then and she quickly answered it. "Shouji, is that you?" Natsumi listened for a bit then replied "I understand. Just get here safely-and as soon as you can! I love you!" She listened for a few seconds then disconnected the call.

"Good news, Natsumi?" her friend asked.

"Shouji has reached the western edge of the city" Natsumi explained "but he says it's just as slow going as it was up in the mountains. He estimates he will be here by 2200 if he has no other delays."

"I think once he get here and is safe you'll feel a lot better" Miyuki consoled her friend.

"You're right about that" Natsumi agreed. "Well, have a quiet watch! See you tomorrow."

"You have a good night, Natsumi" Miyuki said as her partner turned to go back into the building. Miyuki clipped the radio to her belt and put the headset on, then turned the radio on. Keying the mic button, she said "Dispatch, this is overwatch. How do you read me? Over."

"Overwatch, this is Dispatch. I read you five by five. Over." was the reply. A few seconds later, Miyuki heard a different voice in her headset say "Overwatch, this is front gate. I read you five by five. Over."

Miyuki keyed her mic and replied "Roger dispatch and front gate. I read both of you five by five. Overwatch out." She settled in to her seat, picked up the binoculars and scanned the street below. What she saw was disturbing. She counted about thirty walkers on the street withing a hundred meters of the gate. Miyuki thought they might be gathering for some unknown reason until she observed they walked right by the gate without looking anywhere but straight ahead.

As far as Miyuki could see, the only living beings she found were inside the walls of Bokuto Station. As she continued to scan the streets, she felt a shiver run down her spine. She realized they were facing an army of bodies-untrained, uncoordinated but with one deadly characteristic. When they heard a sound, they would swarm the source of the sound in what could only be termed a feeding frenzy.

"How are we going to escape from here and get anywhere safe?" she wondered to herself. "In fact, is there anywhere safe to go?" A small, cold lump of doubt began to form in her gut. Miyuki recognized what was happening and said to herself "No! I will not let myself doubt. We will get out of this alive and find a safe haven to start rebuilding humanity!"

"That's my Mi-chan!" came from behind her. Miyuki swung around to see Kenny standing a bit behind and to her left. "We've got to believe in each other and work together."

"Did I say that out loud?" Miyuki asked her fiancee, a bit embarrassed.

"Yes, you did" Kenny told her. "I can understand, however. Looking out from here is a scary thing to do. I was helping Natsumi get the table up here and saw it a bit earlier in the daylight. It does seem eerier now in the dark."

"So to what do I owe the honor of this visit?" Miyuki inquired, smiling.

"I just wanted to see if there was anything you needed" Kenny explained "since you're standing the first watch. Would you want any food or drink? Maybe some coffee or tea?"

"I better not" Miyuki replied. "I wouldn't want to have to suddenly run to the bathroom."

"I understand" Kenny said, nodding his head. "You wouldn't want to abandon your post at an inopportune time. Well, then, just one more thing" he continued, leaning down towards Miyuki.

"Um, should we be doing this now?" she asked.

"Just a quick kiss, Mi-chan" Kenny pleaded. "I'll be asleep before you get relieved."

Miyuki scanned the street once more. "It's quiet now-I don't think one would hurt." She turned towards Kenny and lifted her head. He leaned down and in until their lips met. It started as a polite peck, but quickly grew more passionate.

Kenny broke off the kiss, standing up as he said "I hope the will keep you warm tonight." He had a big smile on his face.

Also smiling, Miyuki looked up at her fiancee and purred "I don't think I'll need anything else tonight." She turned back to her observation as Kenny headed back to the building.

The first hour passed without Miyuki seeing any action. The most she did was scan the streets every few minutes with her binoculars and check in with dispatch and the front gate every fifteen minutes.

With her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could see much more detail than when she first came up to then roof. At one point, she thought she heard the crack of a gunshot, but she wasn't sure if it was that or some more natural sound. A few minutes later she saw off in the distance what looked to be a pair of lights-one white, one red, like someone was riding a motorcycle up a street. She only saw it for a few seconds and wasn't sure if it was just her eyes playing tricks on her. By the time she got the binoculars to her eyes, the light was gone.

The next hour was much like the first. By now, Miyuki was alternating standing and pacing along the edge of the roof and sitting on the chair. She did that as much to keep herself from dozing off as to ease her soreness from sitting too long. Besides, she realized, she didn't need to remain concealed. The walkers weren't going to shoot at her, after all.

About 2210, Miyuki heard a crackle in her headset. Then Natsumi's voice came over the radio. "This is Natsumi. I just received a call from Shouji. He says he estimates he is still about thirty minutes out. Let's keep an eye out for him. Natsumi out."

Miyuki smiled as she keyed her mic to report "Overwatch-copy that. I'll be ready. Out." She could hear equal parts relief and frustration in Natsumi's voice. "It'll all be over soon, and your Shouji will be by your side" she thought.

A half hour passed but Miyuki saw no headlights or any vehicle movement on any street near the station. Just as she was checking to the north once again, her radio crackled into life. "Miyuki, Shouji's in trouble!" Natsumi wailed. "Can you see him?"

"This is Overwatch. He's not to the north. Over" Miyuki replied. "What's going on?"

"He's being pursued by three unidentified vehicles!" Natsumi shot back. "They're trying to stop him!"

Miyuki started scanning all the streets. She keyed her mic and asked "Did he say which way he was coming in?"

There was a pause, then Natsumi replied "He's coming from the east and a few blocks away from the bridge! Do something!"

Miyuki looked east and saw the glow of headlights indicating a vehicle was crossing the bridge over the canal beside the station. Looking through the binoculars, Miyuki could see the shape of a Humvee with a caravan box on the back. Se saw two sets of headlights behind the Humvee. As they drove through a pool of light from a streetlight, Miyuki saw a car and two dirt bikes in hot pursuit of the Humvee. 

Miyuki dropped the binoculars and grabbed the Steyr. She put it to her shoulder and picked up the car in her scope. She saw two men in the front seat, intent on stopping the Humvee. She aimed for the windshield between the two men and pulled the trigger. With a muffled "pop" the gun fired and a moment later the windshield shattered, causing the car to veer off to the left. It almost hit one of the motorcycles and collided with a light pole. The motorcycles continued their pursuit.

Cycling the bolt to reload the rifle, Miyuki shifted her aim to the closer motorcycle and had the rider in the crosshairs. She was just about to pull the trigger again when Natsumi's voice came over the radio. "Shoot the bastard! Shoot him!"

Miyuki suddenly realized she was about to end the man's life. Even though he was chasing Shouji, she couldn't do that to another human being. She hesitated.

"Miyuki, take the shot!" blared from the headset.

Eyes wide with panic, Miyuki stood there, frozen in place. She had to save Shouji, but she couldn't kill a person. She didn't know what to do.

"MIYUKI!" screamed Natsumi.


	25. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

After Natsumi helped Miyuki set up the overwatch post, she went down to the squad room. She had to finish up the stoppage drill training and set up a roster of people who needed the training. She had just sent the lecture notes and the handout to the printer when Tokuno cam into the squad room. He had his suit jacket off and was wearing a shoulder holster with one of the detective's Sigs in it. "Ah, there you are, Natsumi" he said. "We've got a test batch of wax bullets ready to go. Let's go down to the firing range to test them."

As they walked down the hallway to the stairs, Tokuno asked Natsumi "So how is Toukairin doing?"

Natsumi looked puzzled as she said "What?"

"I mean, do you know how much longer it will be before he gets here" Tokuno explained.

"Oh, sorry, the question was a bit confusing" Natsumi pointed out. "He called me while I was helping Miyuki set up and said he's about two or two and a half hours out, so he should be here by 2200."

"That's good" Tokuno observed. "Did he say what he was bringing?"

"No, he didn't" Natsumi replied "and all I'm worried about is his getting here safely."

"I'm sure he'll be alright. He's a resourceful person" Tokuno told her.

Arriving at the firing range, Tokuno took a silhouette target and clipped it to the target holder, then ran it out to the ten meter position. He pulled his pistol out of its holster and verified that it was unloaded. He then pulled a box of bullets out of his pocket and slid the tray out of the box. There were twenty rounds in the tray. Tokuno picked out one round and handed it to Natsumi. As she looked at the round, Natsumi noticed the wax "bullet" was similar in size and shape to a real slug.

"We could only find one type of wax and it is harder than what we'd normally use" Tokuno explained to Natsumi, "but I think in this case, it will allow you to manually cycle a round into the chamber."

"This feels a lot lighter than a normal bullet" Natsumi observed. "This will actually work?"

"It should" Tokuno replied. "That's why we're here." He put on a set of hearing protectors and safety goggles, then loaded five rounds into the gun's magazine. He chambered the first round and it went in normally, then he aimed at the target and shot. The wax projectile put a hole in the target a few inches below the center mass area.

Natsumi had also donned glasses and hearing protection and loudly said "It looks like your aim's a bit off, Tokuno."

Tokuno replied "The wax rounds don't go as far as regular rounds. Let me move the target up a bit." He pressed the reverse button on the target mechanism and reses the target to seven meters. He cycled the slide to clear the used brass and load the next round but the gun jammed with part of the bullet smashed in. Tokuno disassembled the gun, removed the damaged round, cleaned up the pistol's chamber and reassembled the gun. Taking two more rounds out of the tray, Tokuno studied them before loading them in the magazine. He then reloaded the gun, cycled the slide and aimed at the target. This time, he hit the center mass area dead on. He then manually cycled the slide again but this time the round fed cleanly. He aimed again and the second round hit close to the first one. He turned to Natsumi and smiled, saying "Not bad for an old man, eh?"

"You're not old, Tokuno, you're just 'experienced'" Natsumi chuckled. "Nice shooting. I see what you mean about there not being much noise."

"I'm going to tell Toukairin you were hitting on me" Tokuno shot back. "You want to try a few?" He laid the gun down on the counter at the firing line. Natsumi stepped up, inspected the gun and chambered the next round. She aimed at the target and fired the gun. There was no recoil, nor did the slide cycle. She tapped the bottom of the magazine where it stuck out of the grip, racked the slide to chamber the next round, aimed and fired again. Her two shots were in almost the same locations as  
>the inspector's.<p>

"This will work fine" Natsumi said, taking her hearing protectors off. "It's a good thing we have these pistols. They'll be great training aids. Will you help out tomorrow?"

"I'd be happy to" Tokuno told Natsumi.

Natsumi left the firing range and went back to the squad room. She checked her phone for any messages but there were none. As she was checking, Karouko walked into the room and came over to Natsumi. "How are things going?" she asked.

"Well, I just verified that Tokuno's wax bullet idea will definitely work for training" Natsumi reported. "Miyuki is up in the overwatch position and we're waiting on Toukairin to arrive with supplies."

"That's good, Natsumi" Karouko said. "Have you had any time for yourself?"

"I was planning to take a break in a few minutes" Natsumi replied. "I just need to check on the people posted at the front gate first." She leaned back in her chair. "This has been the longest day I've ever experienced!" she sighed.

"You're right" Karouko said in agreement, "and I'm afraid it's just the start of a whole series of long days. We'll have to keep our eyes on everyone, looking for signs of stress."

"I don't think that will be too hard to find" Natsumi quipped, then she added "but I understand what you're saying. We can't afford another Fujieda incident."

"Or what happened with Saori" Karouko added. "We'll have to be sensitive to the emotional situations of our people..." she said, then trailed off. They remained deep in thought for a minute or two, then Karouko said "I have some other matters to attend to. Make sure you get a little bit of 'down time', Natsumi" as she headed out the door.

"I will" Natsumi replied as the inspector left the squad room.

Natsumi left the squad room and went down to the front gate. She found Kaori Takano sitting by herself at the gate guard position. She went up to Kaori and, in a hushed voice, asked "How are you doing out here, Kaori?"

"I'm holding up" she told Natsumi. "I am aware of what happened to Sakura but I'm a bit tougher than her. Besides, it's been quiet sine I came on at 2000."

"I understand you consider yourself tough" Natsumi explained "but I can tell you from experience it will get to you even if you're an old hand. It's happened to me."

Kaori nodded her head. "I was up visiting Sakura and stopped in to see Saori for a bit. She told me what you went through."

"I'll make sure that someone is out here to be with you" Natsumi commented. "I thought I had assigned someone already."

"You did" Kaori assured her. "Mokoto Maeda is my partner tonight. He is on a rest break and as soon as he gets back, I'll take one also."

"Oh, I see" Natsumi said. "Well, that's good you two have worked out a system. Don't forget you've got Miyuki up top watching over you, too."

"I know" Kaori replied. "We're keeping in contact."

"Have a good watch, Kaori" Natsumi said. She then headed back to the building. As she was making her way to her designated sleeping area, she ran into Sakura in a hallway. "Hi, Natsumi! How is everything going?" she asked.

"I just checked on Kaori at the gate. She's doing as well as can be expected" Natsumi told her. "What are you doing now?"

"I'm just going to the dispatch room to check in with Ruriko Kaneko" Sakura explained. "I'll be relieving her at midnight but I thought I'd see if she needed anything right now."

"Just don't overtax yourself" Natsumi warned her. "You've been through a lot today."

"I understand, senpai" Sakura replied. "I've had lots of rest in the infirmary but I'm still going to get a catnap after I check on Ruriko."

"I'm planning to do that too-right now" Natsumi told her, smiling. "We girls need our beauty sleep!"

"Especially the brides-to-be!" Sakura, returning the smile. She headed off to the radio room.

Natsumi made it to her sleeping quarters and turned on the light as she entered the room. She saw a futon already laid out with a pillow. Just looking at the futon made Natsumi feel sleepy, so she laid her MP5 on the chair by the door, kicked off her shoes and loosened her belt. Realizing she was alone and no one could see in, she pulled off her blouse and fatigues. She hung them up under the air conditioning vent to let them air out and crawled into the futon. She was asleep within five minutes.

Natsumi found herself sitting on a blanket in a valley. The sun was warm but the breeze was refreshing. She watched four children running in and out of a grove of trees playing a game-tag, perhaps, or a game like it. In front of her was spread a picnic lunch. She heard a voice from behind her call out "Shou! Saki! Lunch is ready!" She turned to see Shouji standing behind her and to her left, silhouetted in the sun. She smiled.

A voice to her right called out "Yoriko! Tatsumi! Come eat, too!" Natsumi looked over at her friend Miyuki, with Kenny sitting next to her. Miyuki looked at her and smiled as she said "I'm so glad spring is here again! The children had been so restless with all that snow and now they can burn off all that energy."

The four children arrived then, accompanied by a chorus of "I was first!" "No, I was first-you had to touch the blanket!" "Nuh-uh!" "Mommy, I lost my shoe!" "I wanna sit next to Shou!"

"Alright, alright, enough chatter now" Natsumi said lovingly. "Let's settle down and eat, then I'll help you find your shoe, Saki!" The kids all sat down and waited for their parents to hand them their plates, then they started eating. Shouji sat down next to her, leaned over and kissed her cheek. "The food looks wonderful, as usual, dear. I can't wait to dig in!" Natsumi handed Shouji his plate as Miyuki did the same for Kenny. The two families enjoyed a lovely spring picnic, chatting and laughing as they ate.

Suddenly, a siren started wailing off in the distance. The smiles on Shouji's and Kenny's faces turned to looks of grim determination. Miyuki looked at Natsumi with worry in her eyes. "Was there a drill scheduled for today?" she asked. Natsumi shook her head "no" as she started searching the far treeline. He right hand rested on the Beretta PX-4 sitting on her hip. Miyuki started to gather the panicked children, telling Saki "Don't worry, I'll carry you on my back."

From the direction of the siren came a voice over a loudspeaker. "Possible intrusion in section 12. I repeat, possible intrusion in section 12. All available personnel report to section 12 defensive positions on the double."

"That's this section!" Natsumi exclaimed as she jumped up, her PX-4 now in her hand as she continued to scan the treeline by the fence. Shouji had Natsumi's MP-5 at the ready as he scanned the right flank and Kenny had brought his Colt M4 carbine to his shoulder, looking through its ACOG sight at the left flank.

Natsumi saw a flash of movement in the treeline just to her right. "I have a bogey at the treeline, about one o'clock" she sang out. Miyuki was standing next to her, with the children right behind her. She pulled out a monocular and focused on the approximate area Natsumi indicated. "No movement yet" she called out, then as she scanned the trees she saw movement. "I have the target" she called out, then she added, "Wait! I think it is... Hold on..." she stared through the scope a few more seconds. "Identification positive!" She sang out. "Stand down, it's only a deer."

The young doe came out of the trees and looked at the group of people standing there. She froze, then bolted back the way she came. As they lost sight of her tail among the trees, the "all clear" sounded. "Intruder identified, no action needed, stand down" came the voice from the loudspeaker.

Shouji let out a long breath. "That was more excitement than I was expecting for today" he chuckled.

"I wish we could devise a better system than this" Kenny answered as he slung his carbine on his back again. "I'm amazed more people aren't scared out of their wits when something like this happens."

"Well, let's get back to the picnic!" exclaimed Natsumi, holstering her pistol. She felt a cold drop of water hit her cheek. Looking up, Natsumi saw the beginnings of a rain squall. Before she could say anything the was a loud rumble of thunder. Saki and Yoriko screamed, Shou giggled and Tatsumi started singing "It's raining, it's pouring..." As he said "pouring", the skies opened, drenching the two families as they ran for cover.

At that point, the dream faded and Natsumi slept peacefully again. A few minutes later, she heard a phone ring. She sleepily picked it up and said "Hello." When the caller spoke, Natsumi's eyes snapped wide open.

"Natsumi" Shouji screamed into the phone, "I need help! They're chasing me! Help!"

Natsumi sat bolt upright in the darkened room. Her hand was empty and her cell phone lay next to the futon. "What was..." she started thinking when the phone rang. She picked it up and checked the display. It was Shouji. She punched the "Answer" button and exclaimed "Shouji, are you alright?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line, then Shouji answered "I'm fine, Natsumi. Are _you_ alright?"

"You didn't just call saying they were chasing you and you needed help?"

"No, this is the first call I've made sine 2000" he replied. "I just wanted to let you know it's taking longer than I had estimated to get through Tokyo. It's not so much traffic as the roadblocks. I spent nearly ten minutes at one before the officers there located someone with enough authority to let me get through. They've all warned me that I won't be able to come back. Are you sure you're OK?"

Natsumi rubbed her eyes with her other hand. "I am" she assured him. "I was taking a short rest and I remember having one dream, so it must have been another one-but boy was that one scary! How much longer do you think you'll be?"

"I'm almost afraid to make an estimate" he admitted, "since all I've been doing is calling you to tell you I'll be even more delayed. If I have to, however, I'm guessing another thirty minutes."

"Thirty minutes!" Natsumi exclaimed. She paused, then asked "Um, what time is it?"

"It's just about 2200, Natsumi" was the reply.

"Oh, then that's OK" she said. "Just get here as soon as you can-but be safe out there! I love you, Shouji!"

"I promise I will. I love you, Natsumi!" The call disconnected.

Natsumi sat in the semi-darkness as she fully woke up. She stretched her arms then rubbed her eyes. Looking around, she located her uniform and got dressed. As she slid her legs into her fatigues, she felt something heavy in the right thigh pocket. Natsumi pulled out the Beretta PX4 she had given to Sahashi. Staring at it, she realized it was the same gun she had in her dream. She put it back in her pocket.

Picking up her MP5 as she passed the chair, Natsumi left her room and walked down the hall. The lights were dimmed here so she was able to get used to them easily. Aoi had told her that Onodera had come up with the idea to take out all but one fluorescent tube to lower the light level. He and Iwasaki had removed the tubes earlier this evening and would replace them after the occupants of the rooms got up in the morning. She made a mental note to compliment Onodera for the idea when she saw him again.

Natsumi headed for the cafeteria to get a mug of tea and a snack. As she walked the hallway, she thought she should let the guards outside know about Shouji. She got on her radio and said "This is Natsumi. I just received a call from Shouji. He says he estimates he is still about thirty minutes out. Let's keep an eye out for him. Natsumi out." All stations acknowledged her message.

As she walked into the cafeteria, Natsumi's stomach rumbled a little. The meal she had eaten during the meeting was filling at the time but she was feeling her energy starting to drop. She looked over the spread and decided on an anpan to go with her tea. Turning around, she saw Aoi sitting at a table, so she went over to join her. They chatted as Natsumi ate her snack. Aoi seemed to be melancholy.

"This has been quite a day" Aoi sighed. "Yoriko is gone but Gendo is here, but he's a different person than the one that went to jail three years ago. Then there's Sahashi-he said such hurtful things about me, but I'm still sorry he's gone. I wish I could have talked to him. We might have resolved the issues between us."

"Did you know what his problem was with you?" Natsumi asked.

Aoi sighed again. "He was my partner in the Sex Crimes Unit. We worked well together-he was like a younger brother to me. We'd even spend off-duty time together. That all changed shortly after we were assigned to the anti-chikan squad. I think he couldn't handle my going undercover as a woman, but he never was willing to talk about it. He transferred out soon after that."

"I guess we'll never really know now" Natsumi observed.

"I feel like I'm at my wits' end, Natsumi" Aoi confessed. "I'm afraid I won't be able to keep it together. What am I going to do?" Aoi had never seemed as morose as she was at that moment.

"I'm probably the worst person to answer that question" Natsumi admitted. "Could you possible talk to Kyou or Dr. Ichinose? Or how about Oshou?"

"Perhaps..." Aoi said. "I'll ask tomorrow. I think I'll sleep on it tonight and see what tomorrow brings. Thanks, Natsumi." Aoi smiled, but Natsumi could see the fatigue in her eyes.

"Why don't you go to bed now, Aoi?" Natsumi suggested. "You don't have anything else to do tonight, right?"

"No, I don't" she said. "I really need some good sleep. I don't know if I should look in the mirror-I'll bet I look horrible."

"Aoi, you could never look horrible" Natsumi said. "However, we all look worn out. Go get some sleep, girlfriend." Natsumi stood up, threw the paper plate in the trash and refilled her mug of tea. She checked the cafeteria clock as she walked out, noticing it was about 2225. She headed for the stairs so she'd be at the gate when Shouji arrived. It had been _ages_ she she'd seen him.

She was about ten meters from the stairs when her cell phone rang. She checked the display and saw it was Shouji again. She answered the call, saying "Shouji, don't tell me you're going to be..." She heard the Humvee's engine racing-just like in the dream. A cold pit opened up in her stomach. The she heard his voice.

"Natsumi" Shouji yelled into the phone, "I need help! They're chasing me!"

"How many? What are they driving?" she asked, panicked.

"Three vehicles-two motorcycles and a car" was the reply.

Natsumi dropped her mug. The ceramic shattered and the liquid splashed all over, hitting the leg of her fatigues. She grabbed the mic and called out "Miyuki, Shouji's in trouble! Can you see him?" She ran to the stairs and rushed down them, cell phone in one hand and the mic in the other.

Miyuki called back. "This is Overwatch. He's not to the north. What's going on?"

"He's being pursued by three unidentified vehicles!" Natsumi shot back. "They're trying to stop him!"

"Did he say which way he was coming in?"

Natsumi switched to the phone. "Shouji?"

"I'm here" he replied

"Where are you?" she asked, her voice trembling with fear.

"I'm on Keiyo Road to the east of the station. I'm almost to the bridge" he yelled.

Natsumi told Miyuki "He's coming from the east and a few blocks away from the bridge! Do something!"

By now Natsumi had arrived on the first floor. She ran to the lobby and flew out the doors. As she ran up to the gate, she heard a soft report from Miyuki's rifle on the roof, then the sound of a car colliding with something. She tried to see what had crashed but couldn't get far enough out to look down Keiyo Road. She reversed direction and ran back into the station building, grabbing the mic. All she could blurt out was "Shoot the bastard! Shoot him!"

Natsumi ran up the stairs faster than she ever had. She was in a blind panic. Even though she couldn't hear what was happening on the roof, she had a fear that Miyuki would chicken out at the last second. She keyed the mic again and yelled "Miyuki, take the shot!"

Running out onto the roof, Natsumi saw her partner standing there, her rifle to her shoulder. She had a panicked look on her face. Natsumi screamed "MIYUKI!" as she ran to the sniper's nest. Reaching the edge of the roof she could see what Miyuki saw.

The Humvee had skidded to a stop with the driver's door facing the motorcycles. The two riders stopped about ten meters away from the vehicle. The one on the right was armed with an aluminum baseball bat while the one on the left wielded an ax handle. Shouji stepped out of the Humvee, raising a Colt M4 carbine to his shoulder as he did. He pointed the gun at the man with the baseball bat. The man with the ax handle raced his engine like he was about to charge.

Miyuki suddenly shifted her rifle to the bike on the left. She pulled the trigger and there was another quiet "plop" as the round sped to its target. With the sound of breaking glass, the headlight on the bike on the left shattered. The two riders looked at each other. The one on the right shook his head. They both gunned their engines and turned around as sharply as they could. They took off at high speed, stopping only to pick up their two cohorts who had made their way out of the wrecked car. In a matter of moments, the lights of the bikes disappeared as they turned north. Shouji got back int the Humvee and resumed his approach to the entrance.

Natsumi lost it. "How could you put Shouji's life at stake like that, Kobayakawa?" she screamed, startling Miyuki. She nearly dropped her rifle, catching it just before she wheeled around to face the raging woman. "Natsumi, please let me..." she pleaded.

"No excuses, Miyuki!" she shot back. "Your indecision almost cost Shouji his life just now! You got to wake up and realize that it's us or them now." Natsumi was yelling at the top of her voice. Miyuki was stunned-she had never seen her friend this furious.

Outside the front entrance, Shouji stopped the Humvee and climbed out. He looked up at the noise from above. The screaming was noticeable even five stories away. He looked at the gate guards, puzzled. Mokoto Maeda ran over to him and told him about what had happened. Shouji just turned and ran into the station.

Inside the station, Shouji almost ran into Kachou and Karouko, who were coming down to see him as he came in. He rushed by them without a word. They looked at each other wordlessly and turned to follow him. Shouji made it to the stairs and flew up to the third floor, where he saw Kenny. All he had time to say was "Follow me!" as he continued up the stairs. Kenny broke into a run and fell in behind him, puzzled as to why he was needed.

Shouji sprinted through the doorway to the roof. He saw Natsumi raging on by the edge of the roof and Miyuki nearly in tears, clutching her rifle. He put his head down and charged ahead, aimed straight at Natsumi. He stopped right in front of the seething woman and growled at her "Just what in hell do you think you're doing, Tsujimoto?"

Natsumi was startled by Shouji's sudden appearance and sputtered "Shouji... Shouji... I was..."

Kenny reached Miyuki just then. She saw him and started sobbing, still clutching the Steyr to her chest. He gently pulled the gun away from her and laid it on the table, then enfolded her in his arms as she cried into his chest.

Shouji grabbed Natsumi by the shoulders and started dragging her away from Miyuki and Kenny. "Come with me, Tsujimoto" he ordered. "Shouji, I'm not..." Natsumi protested. "Yes you are!" he shot back. "You come with me now!" He drug her over to the opposite side of the roof.

Karouko and Kachou finally made it to the roof. They took in the scene-Kachou stood there, frowning while Karouko grimly inquired "are we seeing the beginning of a breakdown in discipline?"

"If we are, it stops here tonight" Kachou replied flatly.


	26. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

The tension on the roof was almost unbearable. Karouko and Kachou stood just outside the door to the roof facing the front of the station. To their right, Miyuki was weeping softly, wrapped in Kenny's arms. To their left, Shouji had drug Natsumi off into the shadows about as far away as he could and appeared to be giving her a dressing down.

Kachou looked from one pair to the other, then started to turn left to go to Shouji and Natsumi. Karouko put her hand on his right forearm to stop him. "I think it would be better to let them work this out themselves" she said in a low voice. "They seem to be getting the situation under control." Kachou smiled as he turned to face Karouko. Taking her left hand in his right, he replied "They're getting a taste of what they'll be in for come tomorrow." Karouko smiled as she nodded.

On the east side of the roof, Kenny had been hugging Miyuki and speaking softly to her. The soothing words did their work and Miyuki slowly stopped crying. She looked up at Kenny with a quizzical look on her tear-stained face. "Did I do wrong?" she asked, her lower lip trembling as she spoke.

"To be honest with you, Mi-chan, I can't answer that" Kenny told her as he wiped the tears from her cheek. "All I know is that Shouji is here safe and no one was killed tonight. That seems to indicate you did right." He then puller her close to him again and started stroking her hair. "You have to remember that Natsumi was under great stress today. She went out _there_-twice. She lost a man under her charge. She also worried about Shouji making his way here. I don't think she's ever had that much pressure on her. It was inevitable that she would crack." Miyuki sighed.

Meanwhile, Natsumi was still livid-at Miyuki for ignoring her order as well as at Shouji for treating her like a spoiled child. He had just about dragged her across the roof to a shadowed spot and was facing her, holding her back by both shoulders. His spoke softly but the sternness in his voice made Natsumi flinch.

"Just what in the name of all that's holy is wrong with you, Tsujimoto?" he growled. "The situation was handled by Miyuki and me and we're all safe now."

Natsumi's eyes nearly burned with anger. "She disobeyed my direct order! She froze up at the worst possible moment and left you defenseless out there!" she hissed back at her fiancee. "It was you or them!"

"Did you see what went on out there?" Shouji demanded to know.

"I don't have to know what went on" protested Natsumi. "Miyuki was cowardly and insubordinate. She should have taken them out at..."

"Miyuki made the right call, Tsujimoto" he growled back, "and no one got hurt!"

"I don't give a sh.." Natsumi started to say. Shouji raised his right hand as if he was going to slap her face. Natsumi's eyes got wide as she finally noticed the look he gave her. Her chest got tight in that instant and she steeled herself for the blow-but it did not come. Shouji lowered his hand slowly to his eyes and covered them, then pulled his hand down his face. "Have you become one of them?" he asked, suddenly weary.

"One of what?" she shot back, her defiance starting to return.

"Have you forgotten that you are a sworn officer of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, pledged to uphold the law and protect the citizens of this city?" he demanded to know. "You cannot take the law in your own hands."

"Look around, Shouji" Natsumi demanded, waving her left hand towards the city. "There's no Metropolitan Police Department any more. There's not even any Tokyo left. Why should I 'uphold the law?'"

"To preserve your humanity, if nothing else" Shouji said quietly. "To keep you from becoming one of them."

Natsumi opened her mouth, then closed it. A puzzled look came over her face. "One of them?" she asked.

"One of the lawless. One of the people who believe that might makes right. One of those throwing their humanity away out of fear, greed or hatred, Tsujimoto." Her puzzlement turned to horror as his words sunk in. Her head dropped as she whispered "Is that what you think of me?"

"No, Tsujimoto, that's what I'm trying to keep you from becoming" was the reply.

The rage Natsumi felt evaporated, leaving just fear in its place. She began to shiver as if she was in shock. Shouji pulled her close to him and held her. "I was so afraid I'd lose you out there" she whispered in a trembling voice.

"There was no need to worry" Shouji assured her. "I had the angel Miyuki watching over me. Do you know what she did?"

"N- N- No" Natsumi stammered. "You're right. I don't know." 

"I was being pursued by two bikes and a car" Shouji started. "Miyuki shot out the windshield of the car and caused it to crash. That left the two bikers. I stopped the Humvee and got out to confront them. I had a M4 carbine. Since there were two of them, I had to choose which one to target. I went for the one with the baseball bat. When the other one started to make a move on me, Miyuki shot his headlight out to remind him she was still there. They turned tail and ran, stopping only to pick up their cohorts from the car."

"So she saved you but didn't have to hurt anyone..." Natsumi said as the realization came upon her.

"Well, aside from the two guys in the car being shaken up" Shouji chuckled. Natsumi started crying softly as her head lay on Shouji's chest. "What is it, Sumi-chan?" he asked.

"I'm... I'm sorry" she choked out through her tears. "I should have known Miyuki would handle the situation. I freaked out. Maybe I shouldn't..."

"Shh..." was the reply. Shouji held her tighter. "With all the stress, it's understandable for this to happen. What you need to do is make it right with Miyuki." With that, Shouji turned around and with his hand around Natsumi's shoulders they started walking back to the others on the roof.

Kenny saw Shouji and Natsumi approaching and told Miyuki "I think it's time that you and Natsumi settle this." Miyuki looked up and saw the other couple approaching them. She buried her head in Kenny's chest again and said in a wavering voice "I don't know if I can face her right now."

"You'll be OK" Kenny assured his bride-to-be. "I'll be right here by you."

"When did you get so wonderful, Kenny-kun?" Miyuki asked.

"When I got that wake-up call this morning" he chuckled.

As Natsumi came up to Miyuki, she cried "I'm sorry, Miyuki!" and ran to her friend. They embraced and the tears began to flow again as they told each other how sorry they were for the fight.

"I didn't realize what you had done until Shouji told me!" Natsumi explained to Miyuki. "I should have trusted you to keep him safe."

"I forgot how much stress you have had to bear today, Natsumi" Miyuki replied. They started crying again, hugging each other as Kenny and Shouji exchanged looks that said "What are we getting ourselves into?"

Karouko and Kachou finally walked over to the four. Kachou cleared his throat to get their attention then Karouko said, "We're glad to see you two make up, but ladies... If you cry much more your eyes will be all puffy and red for the big event tomorrow." They all had a good laugh at that, then Natsumi turned to Miyuki and said "If you want to go down early, I'll get someone to cover the rest of your watch."

Miyuki wiped her eyes and said "No, I'll be alright. It should only be an hour or so."

"If you insist, Miyuki" replied Natsumi. "I'll still try to get Chie up here a bit early." She turned to the two senior officers and bowed. "I am sorry for the disruption, Chief..."

Kachou put his hand on her shoulder. Natsumi was surprised and looked up. He smiled at her and said "No need to apologize, Natsumi. You had probably the most stressful day today. Go on and get some rest. Karouko can go talk to Chie."

"Thank you, Kachou!" Natsumi said, a smile returning to her lips-then she looked concerned. She came to attention with a pleading look on her face. "Um... Requesting permission to change my sleeping accommodations, sir!" Kachou smiled and said "just take a radio with you in case you're needed during the night. Put it on channel 2. I'll tell everyone else to stay off that channel unless they need you."

Natsumi's smile returned. "Oh, thank you so very much!" she exclaimed, then turned around to catch up to Shouji. As they got to the door to leave the roof, Natsumi stopped and looked at Shouji with a puzzled expression. "Sumi-chan?" she asked.

"Don't you like it?" Shouji countered.

"Let me think about it" Natsumi said as they went inside.

"What was that all about?" Karouko asked Kachou as they walked to the door.

"That's right, you don't know" he replied as he pointed to a corner of the roof shrouded in darkness. "Shouji sets a tent up on the roof over there and uses it for his sleeping quarters."

"So Natsumi is going to be sleeping with Shouji before the wedding?" she inquired.

Kachou had a sly smile on his face. "I'm sure they'll just sleep, but I'm also sure that she'll sleep more soundly in her fiancee's arms."

"How about Miyuki and Kenny?" she asked.

"No, they're more traditional. They'll wait until they are married." he observed.

Karouko sighed. "Is marriage even necessary at this point?"

"Necessary? No, I guess not" Kachou answered her as they reached the door. "But I'm happy they want to try and stay as normal as possible. It makes me think we might just get out of this alive."

Kenny had escorted Miyuki to the sniper nest and helped her get settled back down. "Are you sure you want to sleep in your room tonight?" He asked her. "I mean, it's been stressful for you, too."

"I'd feel funny about it, Kenny" she replied. "Just give me this one little quirk."

Kenny leaned over and kissed Miyuki then straightened up. "Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Good night!" he said with only a hint of dejection in his voice before turning back to go to the door.

"I love you, Kenny-kun" Miyuki called out after him.

Kenny turned around and smiled. "I love you, too Mi-chan" he echoed.

Miyuki turned her attention back to the almost-silent street below.

Natsumi and Shouji walked up to the Humvee, which had been moved to the back of the station. The rear doors were open as some officers were still unloading supplies. "I hope they left my gear in there" Shouji said, "cause I'd like to get to sleep as soon as I can. That was the hardest drive of my life!" Peering into the cargo compartment, Shouji retrieved a backpack with a bedroll attached and slung it on his back. "Let's go set up" he told Natsumi.

"Set up? I- I- I've never set up a tent before, let alone in the dark" Natsumi protested.

"There's always a first time, Sumi-chan" he replied, then grabbed her by the hand and led her back into the station. Walking up the stairs, he assured Natsumi "Setting up the tent is easy. It almost sets itself up."

"This I've got to see" Natsumi said. They continued up the stairs with Natsumi deep in thought. "You said you had a M4 with you, right?" she inquired.

"That's right" Shouji confirmed. "I brought four more as I knew the station didn't have any weapons of that class. I also brought a box of ammunition for each one." He stopped on the third floor landing and turned to Natsumi with a puzzled look on his face. "Wait-how was Miyuki able to take out the windshield and the headlight like that, and without any report? Was she using her paintball gun?"

"I guess I didn't get a chance to tell you." Natsumi started. "Aoi just happened to luck into finding the location of a black market gun dealer. You may have heard of him-Happy Hiroshi?"

"I think I remember Tokuno mentioning him in passing once before" Shouji confirmed.

Natsumi continued. "She was able to recover a nice arsenal for us-pistols, shotguns, some machine guns and a sniper rifle-that's what Miyuki used on the vehicles."

"But no sound?" Shouji interjected.

"She also recovered a number of sound suppressors that work with the various guns" Natsumi explained. "You see, the walkers respond primarily to sound. Suppressed guns are the only way to avoid being swarmed by them."

"How did Aoi know this?" Shouji asked.

"She was the first officer to encounter the walkers up close" Natsumi told him. "Sadly, one of them was Yoriko. She noticed how they reacted to the report of the gun. That has helped us out immensely."

"This is all too much" Shouji said, shaking his head slowly.

"Come on, Shou-kun, let's get this tent set up so we can sleep" Natsumi said. She resumed walking up the stairs. "Our heads will be clearer in the morning-I hope."

They worked together, chatting as they did. In a few minutes the tent was up-Shouji was right when he said it almost put itself up. He rolled out his ground pad and his sleeping bag. Looking at it, he realized that it was a single person mummy-style bag. "Natsumi..." he started to say.

"Yeah, I just realized that, too" she replied. Natsumi thought for a minute. "Can you open the bag and lay it out like a futon?"

Shouji was also considering the options. "No, we can't-but that gives em an idea." He rearranged the ground pad and the sleeping bag so they were side by side with the sleeping bag's zippered front on the bottom. "You can lay on the bag and I'll lay on the mat. I have a lightweight blanket we can cover up with. It's going to be a warm night." Natsumi smiled.

Natsumi and Shouji sat side by side in front of the tent. Natsumi laid her head on Shouji's shoulder. They didn't speak for a long time-they just held each other. They were facing north and they could see the lights of Sumida Ward as well as the rest of Tokyo. The lights illuminated the pillars of smoke from dozens of small fires that would go untended. Natsumi finally broke the silence.

"How could this have happened?" she wondered. "I mean, it's like a horror film. Will we ever know the cause of this and if there's even a cure?"

Shouji held her tighter ans said softly "Those are questions for another day, after we've made it to safety. For now, lets keep our minds on the immediate situation."

Natsumi snuggled closer. "I'm glad you were able to get here. Once I knew you were on the road, I got so scared-but I couldn't show it to the others. They were looking to me for leadership."

Shouji leaned his head against hers. "I can understand why they'd look to you, but what about Miyuki?"

"I guess you could say we're still a team. Miyuki is the strategist, I'm the tactician." Natsumi replied.

"Of course" Shouji chuckled. "Kachou's playing to your strengths."

They fell silent for a few minutes more, then Shouji said "Natsumi, when did you come up with 'Shou-kun'?"

It was Natsumi's turn to chuckle. "It just came to me. Do you like it?"

"Um, no" was the reply. "Do you like 'Sumi-chan'?"

"It doesn't do anything for me" Natsumi admitted. "I guess we'll just have to work harder on our pet names..."

"Or just forget them" Shouji added.

"You read my mind!" Natsumi said happily. "Cute nicknames are for pets."

"Yes, they are, so I guess it's Natsumi and Shouji for us." he mused.

Natsumi yawned, then chuckled. "That makes us sound like old married people."

"Well, as of tomorrow... "Shouji reminded her.

"But I'm not old!" Natsumi protested, hitting Shouji in the shoulder playfully. They both laughed, then she continued. "I guess we better get to bed."

They stood up and Shouji started unbuttoning his shirt. Natsumi blushed so you could almost see the red glow from her cheeks. "Um, Shouji..." She started.

"Don't worry. I sleep in my shorts and undershirt" he assured her. Besides, we'll be seeing a lot more of each other from now on..."

Natsumi chuckled. "That's right-but why do I feel so nervous all of a sudden?"

"I've got a spare tee shirt in my bag. You can wear it tonight" Shouji offered.

They finished getting ready for bed and crawled into the tent. Natsumi sat up and said, "Oh, I almost forgot" then crawled back out to retrieve her radio. Turning it on, she set it to channel 2 and laid it beside her, then she laid down herself

Shouji pulled the blanket up over them as he laid back. He turned to face Natsumi. She smiled at him and said "Good night, Shouji Toukairin."

He smiled back and said "For the last time ever, good night Miss Natsumi Tsujimoto."

Kenny went down to his room and got ready to sleep. He had almost gone into the wrong room but remembered at the last moment that Karouko had shifted around the assignments so he was in the second office to the west of the Chief's quarters.

He checked the door before he laid down on his futon. He was going to lock it but decided it wasn't necessary. "Nobody would want any of my things" he thought. He turned out the light , lay down and soon fell asleep.

Aoi was pacing back and forth in the office that was her sleeping quarters. All the events of the day came flooding back to her. She could see Yoriko lying dead in her arms, then her eyes fly open as she lunged at Aoi with a speed and strength that Yoriko never possessed in life. She saw the bullets hit her, taking her down for the second and final time. She struggled to not cry.

Then there was the rescue of Gendo. He baffled her because of the change-his "foxhole conversion" as it was. The bullets in his gun were meant for her, but he ended up hailing her as his salvation. She tried to reconcile that with the profile of Onodera she knew as well as her own history. She could only conclude that he had romanticized the rescue and her. Aoi was concerned-could he snap and revert to the Chuo Rapist persona he had lived for so many years?

And then there was Sahashi. Of all the thousands of MPD officers that could have shown up at Bokuto Station, why did one of them have to be him? Seeing him brought up so many scars and hearing his derisive tirade ripped them open yet again. Aoi shook her head at the strangest turn of events-his death while out on the mission with Saori and how she had to shoot him like Aoi shot Yoriko. The similarities were chilling. What puzzled Aoi the most about it was how Saori came out of her catatonic state so quickly and in such a good mood, considering the circumstances. She had heard some talk about a visit to the other officer by a ghost but she dismissed that as gossip.

There was a knock on her door. Aoi crossed over and opened it to find Gendo standing there. He smiled when he saw her. Aoi smiled back but said "Gendo, it's starting to get late. Shouldn't you be in bed?"

The question didn't faze Gendo. He asked "I was just wondering if you would like a mug of tea before bed, Aoi-my treat!"

Aoi was about to say no, but decided she could use the opportunity to do a further assessment of Gendo. She thought that it might put her mind at ease about him. "I don't know, Gendo" she said. "The caffeine might keep me up tonight."

"They have a nice selection of herbal teas, Aoi-it might even help you sleep better" he countered. Aoi smiled at that and said "Oh, all right. Just one mug." They walked to the cafeteria. It was almost deserted, with only a few of the ongoing watchstanders eating what would be for them breakfast. She went over and picked out a peppermint tea and prepared a mug, then went over to where Gendo was sitting.

They sat there for a minute just sipping their tea. Aoi spoke first. "I heard you gave Iwasaki a lot of help today, Gendo."

He smiled. "I never thought I'd enjoy manual labor so much" he confided "but when you're just grateful to be alive, things like position, power and riches don't matter anymore." He took another sip of tea, then looked at Aoi. "Tell me the truth. Were you disappointed to find out it was me you rescued?" The question took Aoi by surprise and she just sat there. 'Look, if you don't want to answer..." he started.

"No, that's not it. You just took me by surprise with that question" Aoi explained. "Let's see. I was not disappointed. I saved another human being-how could that disappoint me? I _was_ surprised to find you in that doorway, but I had expected to... um... run into you sooner or later."

Gendo blushed at the inference. He looked down at his lap as he said "I was filled with rage before then. I swear to you that I harbor no malice towards you-or towards anyone-now. That close brush with death convinced me that my "plan" was futile and the fact that you rescued me... what if I had killed you the day before? I might be one of _them_ now."

Aoi studied his face as he talked. She saw no signs of deception, nothing that would make her doubt his sincerity. It appeared to her that Gendo Onodera had honestly changed from a narcissistic sociopath to a meek and caring human. She cemented her opinion as they talked over tea for about a half hour. It wasn't until Gendo noticed the time that Aoi realized she was actually enjoying their conversation. She was just a bit reluctant to end the talk but knew they both needed the sleep.

Gendo and Aoi walked back to her room, continuing the conversation all the way. She felt like a teenager on a first date. At her room, Gendo wished her a good night then turned and left for the kendo arena where the men were sleeping. Aoi went inside, undressed down to her boxers, turned out the light and lay down on her futon. Her mind was spinning with the events of the last day and she could hold it back no more. She started weeping-for Yoriko, for all those people who were victims. She even cried for Sahashi. After a few minutes of tears, the tea started to work on her and Aoi finally fell asleep.

After a while, Aoi was awakened by a light glowing in her room. As she sat up, Aoi looked around but could not see any source-until a bright hole opened up in the outside wall. As she shielded her eyes, Aoi saw the light begin to take the form of a person. As the person walked over to Aoi's futon and sat down next to it, she recognized the person. It was Yoriko-but not the Yoriko from this morning. This Yoriko was whole and perfect-more beautiful than Aoi had ever seen her before.

"Hello, Aoi" was the first thing Yoriko said. "How can it be?" Aoi wondered out loud. "That's what I've come to tell you about" Yoriko replied. Aoi started to cry at the sight of her dead partner. "I'm so sorry I had to shoot you..."

Yoriko leaned over and placed her index finger on Aoi's lips, saying "Shh..." Aoi stopped talking, as much from feeling warmth in Yoriko's finger as from her request. "You have no need to feel sorry, Aoi" Yoriko continued. "You don't know it now, but ending the life in my body was the most merciful gift you could give me. Even though I died, my body was still animate so my soul, my spirit couldn't leave. I no longer had control of my body but I was aware of everything that happened. When you put my body to rest finally I was freed from that shell."

Aoi was mystified. "So you mean that shooting your body was the best thing I could do for your spirit?"

"That's right, Aoi" Yoriko said, nodding her head. "I will be going to join my family soon but I wanted to see you one last time, to put your mind at ease." She gave Aoi a loving smile.

"Thank you, Yoriko" Aoi replied. "I don't quite understand it all, but if you are happy then..."

Yoriko took Aoi's hands. Again, Aoi noticed the warmth of her hands-it was as if she was actually in the room with her. "I am here, Aoi" she confirmed, "This is not a dream. I can tell you are still troubled by everything you've gone through today. Guard your heart, Aoi. It will take time for you to accept all this. I think you know what you need to do."

"I'm beginning to see what I'm going to have to do" Aoi admitted. She thought for a minute, then asked her friend "How do you know all of what I've gone through today?"

Yoriko smiled again. "I haven't been following you, if that's what you mean. I've been trying to help those who were trapped by their bodies for a time. When they are released, it takes some time and effort to prepare them to pass on." She paused as if she was trying to think of how to say what she wanted. "I also wanted to bring someone else to you-someone who left you with things unsaid." She gestured to the point where the light first appeared. As Aoi turned her head, the glow came back. When it took shape, Aoi was surprised to see Masumi walk to the futon and sit next to Yoriko. Aoi started to say something but no sounds came from her mouth.

"Hello, Aoi" Masumi said. He had an aura of sadness about him that prompted Aoi to reach out and touch his cheek. It, too, was warm. "I have so much I need to say but I don't have much time. I can't face eternity without apologizing to you for the cruel way I've treated you all those years. Please forgive me."

"Oh, Masumi" replied Aoi. "Of course I forgive you. I missed your friendship all these years."

"And I made my life a living hell by holding a grudge against you all that time" Masumi confessed. "Not to mention the hurt I inflicted on you. I have no excuse for what I did."

"I should have let you know what I needed to do-I should have talked it over with you. Please forgive me for not considering your feelings."

"You're still the same, Aoi" Masumi observed, his smile brightening. "You always care about others-sometimes even more than yourself. Don't let that die. You know what to do. It doesn't have to be forever."

Aoi sat back. "That means so much, hearing it from you. Thank you for supporting me."

Yoriko stood up and reached out to Masumi to help him up. "It is time for us to go. Be well, Aoi. Let yourself heal. We love you." They turned around and walked towards the windows, fading as they drew nearer. When the light had finally disappeared, Aoi immediately fell back to sleep.

Miyuki was starting to get sleepy at her post. She hadn't checked the time in a while so she hit the illumination switch on her watch. It read 0010! Miyuki was a bit upset. Karouko had said she would get Chie to come early and now it was way past time for Miyuki to be relieved. She said to herself "I'll give her five more minutes, then I'm calling" but she started yawning so bad she reached for the mic.

Chie came out of the door at that moment and hurried over to the sniper nest. "Please forgive me for being so late" she said, bowing to Miyuki. This took Miyuki aback-she had never known Chie to be so formal or so humble. "Didn't Karouko wake you up early?" she grumbled.

"She did" Chie told Miyuki. "I was hurrying to get dressed to come up here when I had a dizzy spell and nearly fell down again. I went to the infirmary to let one of the doctors examine me but I had to wait until one came from her sleeping quarters. Thankfully, she cleared me for the watch, since I'll be sitting the whole time-right?"

Miyuki's annoyance dissolved as she listened to Chie's explanation. "Are you sure you'll be able to make it for four hours?" she asked, a concerned look on her face.

'It's not like I'll be running all over the place" Chie assured her. "I'll make sure to take it easy. Besides, I wouldn't want the bride to miss out on her sleep the night before her wedding!"

"Thanks, Chie" Miyuki replied. She went over the information Chie needed to know, then got up from her seat and handed the rifle to her. As soon as she stood up, the fatigue just rolled in on Miyuki, making her sway just a bit. "Are you sure you're not going to need some help?" Chie inquired, worried about her fellow officer.

"I'll be OK. It's all downhill from here" Miyuki joked, then she turned to head for the door. She looked back and said "Have a quiet night, Chie" as she walked away. Once inside the door, Miyuki slowed down and descended the stairs slowly, mindful of her fatigue. She arrived on the third floor and went to the section designated as the sleeping quarters for the leaders of the police officers at Bokuto.

The corridor was dim, with a fraction of the light that would normally illuminate it. Miyuki remembered that Iwasaki and Onodera came up with the idea to pull all but a few light bulbs from the corridor so the offices would be dark enough for sleeping but the hallway would be passable. Giving her eyes a few minutes to adjust, Miyuki leaned up against the wall. "I hope I'll be able to get myself up in time tomorrow without my alarm clock" she thought to herself. When she could see better, she made her way to her room. As she put her hand on the doorknob, she remembered that Karouko had said something about the sleeping assignments. She was just too tired to recall what it was. "Oh well" she thought "if someone's in there, they'll probably lock the door before retiring."

She turned the knob and the door opened quietly. She closed it and in the near-darkness made her way to the futon. She quietly undressed for bed, mindful of those on either side of her who were already asleep. She barely crawled into the futon and turned on her left side before she fell fast asleep.

By now, Kenny was in the midst of a dream-a rather pleasant one. He was at home with Miyuki on a nice quiet evening when they had just sat arm in arm and talked. He had gone to bed while Miyuki showered and prepared to join him. She finally slid into the bed and whispered "Good Night" to Kenny. Kenny turned on his left side and put his arm around his wife. He could smell the lingering fragrance of her shampoo as she drifted off to sleep, feeling her chest rise and fall as her breathing slowed down. "This is where we're meant to be" he thought. He enjoyed his "little bit of Heaven" with his wife in his arms, knowing that tomorrow would be another challenging day.


	27. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Saori woke up and looked at her wristwatch. It read 0645. She was well rested and was feeling, in fact, a bit restless, having spent the last twelve or more hours in bed. She got up from her bed in the infirmary and looked through the curtains. Neither Kyou or Kaname had made it in yet. She remembered that there had been a few incidents during the night that required one or the other doctor to come back to the infirmary, so she figured they'd be in a little later.

Looking over where Honda and the children slept, Saori confirmed that they were all resting peacefully. Her gaze lingered on Honda as she recalled how helpful he had been to the two doctors and how he had cared for the children. "Masumi said it'd be then next person I saw" she thought to herself. "He is such a sweet person."

She got up and made her way to the infirmary bathroom. After a shower and shampoo, she felt much better and wide awake. Donning her gown and a robe, she went back to her bed. She then noticed her uniform laid out on the bed next to her. It looked clean, with the blood splatters from the firefight at the medical supply house gone. She looked back at Honda again-when did he find the time to wash and dry her uniform-and where did he do it?

Saori slipped into her clothes and was tying her shoes when she heard a pair of small feet hit the floor. She looked up to see Megumi come over to her. "Good morning, Auntie Saori" she said quietly. "I'm happy to see you're up." Saori held her arms out and Megumi came to her, welcoming the embrace.

"How are you doing, Megumi-chan?" she asked the girl.

"I- I- I'm doing good" Megumi answered, steeling herself.

Saori leaned in and whispered in Megumi's ear "It's alright to be a bit scared. I am, too-but I have to take care of the people I love."

Megumi started to cry softly. After a few minutes, she stopped and looked up at the policewoman. "I am happy for one thing" she whispered. "I'm happy that Mommy doesn't have to go through this." Saori hugged the girl tighter, then Megumi's stomach growled.

"It sounds like someone needs breakfast" Saori said, smiling. "I'm hungry, too. Go wake up Maho and Yuuta, then wash your face and hands and dress. I'll take you down to the cafeteria."

"What about Daddy?" Megumi asked.

"He was up late helping the doctors with some people who came in sick during the night. We should let him sleep" Saori suggested. Megumi gave a weak smile, nodded her head and walked off to wake her two friends. Saori went over to the desk, found a pen and piece of paper and wrote a note to Honda letting him know where they were, in case he woke before they returned.

When the three children came back, Saori said "Let's look at you all." Megumi and Yuuta passed "inspection" but Saori sent Maho back to wash his hands again. He complained and Megumi giggled quietly. Saori was pleased to see that even Yuuta gave a small smile. When he returned, they all headed off to breakfast.

Aoi woke up at her usual early hour. Momentarily disoriented, she looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. "Right, I'm at Bokuto" she thought to herself, and like a tsunami, all the memories of the previous day came flooding back. "No, no, no!" she moaned as she covered her face. She then heard Yoriko's voice-"Guard your heart, Aoi." She looked up and saw two indentations on the futon, one on each side. One where Yoriko sat and one where Masumi sat.

"They _were_ here-it was not a dream!" she said to herself emphatically. "Yoriko and Masumi came to me and told me what I need to do." Aoi made up her mind at that moment. She left the office that was her bedroom for the night and headed down to the woman's locker room. Opening her locker, she pulled out a box tied with twine. Laying the box beside her on the bench, Aoi retrieved her shower supplies and closed the door. Making sure she was alone in the room, Aoi showered and shampooed her hair. Drying her hair, Aoi worked as much of the wave out of it as she could.

Returning to the bench in front of her locker, she untied the twine hold the box closed, opened the box and took out a fresh uniform. Aoi dressed, but instead of donning the blouse and skirt of a Tokyo MPD policewoman, she put on the duty uniform of a male officer. Buttoning up the shirt, Aoi gathered the now-dry hair and tied it in a ponytail. Going to a mirror, Aoi looked at the reflection as the female Aoi persona retreated to a place of safety within the heart of the policeman Aoi now saw in the mirror. "When it is safe-when you are healed-please come back" he whispered.

Aoi passed a few people on the way to the cafeteria. They were either too sleepy or too involved in their duties to notice the tall patrolman with the ponytail walk past them. Entering the cafeteria, Aoi went to the serving line where a server looked at him and asked "Are you new here?" Smiling, Aoi said "No, I'm not" and moved on down the line. Aoi took his tray and went over to a smaller table away from the door. He knew he'd probably be explaining the change over and over today so he wanted to eat his breakfast in peace.

A shaft of sunlight came through one of the windows in Miyuki's room. It hit a chromed handle on a file cabinet and was reflected right into Miyuki's face, waking her up. She moved her hand to shield her eyes and looked at her wristwatch. It was now 0700. She wanted to sleep a bit longer but needed to turn over to get the sun out of her eyes. When she tried, she felt like she was weighted down around her waist.

Puzzled, Miyuki reached down with her right hand to feel what the restraint was. She felt an arm draped across her between her waist and hip. She was able to wriggle around under the arm until she could see what was to the right of her. With a gasp, she saw Kenny lying in her bed!

Kenny felt something touch his arm, then start moving up towards his shoulder. Fearing it was a spider, he opened one eye to see what the intruder was. He saw a woman's hand. Looking up to see the face associated with the hand, he saw the shocked face of Miyuki just inches away from him.

The couple sat bolt upright in the futon they had inadvertently shared overnight. They stared at each other as their minds processed the information. Finally, they spoke. "What are you doing in _my_ bed?" they asked simultaneously.

"Your bed? I was here first" Kenny said, his mind racing.

"How so?" challenged Miyuki defensively.

"I went to bed before you did, remember?" Kenny asserted.

"Then you went to the wrong room" Miyuki retorted.

"No, I went to the room Karouko told me to" Kenny shot back.

"So did I" Miyuki insisted.

Kenny thought a minute. "Did you go to the first room or the second room she told you to?" he inquired.

It was Miyuki's turn to think. "I don't remember her talking about a sec..." Her head dropped into her hand. "The second room... next door!" she exclaimed, as the memory of the conversation with the assistant inspector came flooding back.

"How could you forget that?" Kenny asked, concerned. "Didn't Chie relieve you early?"

"No, she didn't" Miyuki recalled. "She felt dizzy when she got up and Karouko sent her to see one of the doctors. She ended up being a half-hour late." Miyuki sat there a moment. "I was so worn out and so frazzled from the whole incident with Shouji I completely forgot her moving my room."

Kenny started chuckling. "So we slept together before the wedding anyway" he finally explained.

"Well, we slept in the same bed but we didn't "sleep" together" Miyuki protested. She was flustered and her cheeks were a deep red.

"You mean we didn't have sex" Kenny confirmed, still chuckling at the situation.

"Um... Um... Well, YES!" Miyuki insisted. "I didn't even know you were here until just a minute or two ago!"

"Well, I thought you were just a dream" Kenny told her.

"We can't have anyone find out what happened" Miyuki pleaded, her entire face now red.

"How are we going to do that?" Kenny asked, puzzled.

"Well... Well... We'll just have to leave separately and hope no one sees us" Miyuki suggested, growing desperate.

"I don't see what you're worried about. Natsumi and Shouji slept together last night and I doubt either one of them are freaking out right now" Kenny observed.

"But I'm not Natsumi" said Miyuki. There was silence for a moment, then she moaned "I didn't mean it that way!"

"Alright, Miyuki, we'll do it your way" Kenny conceded. "Who goes first?"

"A gentleman would let a lady go ahead of him" Miyuki told him.

"OK, you go first and I'll catch up with you" Kenny said.

"Good. Now, turn away" Miyuki ordered.

"Why?" Kenny protested. "We'll be married in a few hours and your swimsuit last summer showed more than what you have on now."

"HOW DO..." Miyuki yelled.

"Shh! They'll hear you" Kenny warned.

"How do you know what I'm wearing, Kenichi Nakajima?" she hissed.

Kenny sighed. "I don't. I just mean that bikini left little to imagination last year." He smiled as he remembered the sight. Miyuki punched him in the left arm-hard. "Ow!" he cried. "What was that for?"

"You're a pervert, Kenny" was all she said.

"And tonight?" He asked her.

Miyuki thought for a minute, her features softening as she anticipated. "Tonight, I will be your wife." Then she glared. "Until then, you're a pervert!" she exclaimed, turning her back to Kenny.

Kenny reached out and wrapped his arms around Miyuki's waist, then pulled her to him. She ended up sitting in his lap. "I love you, Mi-chan!" he said, then he gave her a long, lingering kiss.

Miyuki resisted at first but melted into the kiss. When Kenny finally pulled his head away, she purred "I love you too, Kenny-kun." Then she pushed him away and stood up. "But you're still a pervert!" she declared, this time with a huge smile on her face. "You're _my_ pervert!"

Kenny's mouth dropped open in shock. "What did you just say?" he stammered, then he broke out in a belly laugh. "You better get dressed before we lose all control" he suggested as he calmed down.

Miyuki slipped back into the fatigues she had changed into before going up to the roof the night before. She walked over to the door, turned and gave Kenny a wink and a smile, then opened the door and walked out-almost running into Karouko! Miyuki turned bright red as she stammered "Karo... Karo..."

"And a good morning to you, too, Miyuki" she said cheerily. "Did you sleep well last night?"

Miyuki stood there, dumbfounded.

"Don't worry, dear, it'll be our little secret" Karouko confided to Miyuki. "Just the four of us."

Miyuki gave a sigh of relief, then looked confused. "Four of us?"

"You, me, Kenny and Kachou."

"Oh, I see" Miyuki said, nodding her head. She then looked at Karouko with a quizzical grin. "Kachou?"

"It'll be our little secret-for now" Karouko said, smiling.

"I'm so happy for you!" Miyuki exclaimed. The door opened behind Miyuki and Kenny stepped out. When he saw Miyuki and Karouko, he froze like a deer in the headlights of a car. Another door opened down the hallway and Kachou strolled out into the hallway. Kenny looked at his Chief, then at Karouko, then Miyuki. He looked like he was about to cry.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Nakajima!" he said, smiling as he approached. "How are the lovebirds today?"

Kenny looked like he was hoping for a hole to open up under him. Miyuki put on a big smile and replied "Right back at you, Kachou!" He gave a laugh as he came up to the other three.

"You... You know?" Kenny said, a look of despair on his face.

"Kenny, I went looking for Miyuki earlier this morning" Karouko explained. "when I didn't find her where I thought she'd be, I decided to check on where she was originally supposed to be."

"Oh, Kenny, it's alright" Miyuki said. "They won't say anything, especially since..."

"No! You didn't" Kenny said, turning to Kachou. He just smiled.

"We should all get to breakfast" Karouko prompted the group. "We've got a busy day ahead of us." The four headed down the hallway, chatting as the went.

Natsumi and Shouji were up with the sun after having spent a quiet night on the roof. As they walked over to the door to head down to breakfast, they saw Sgt. Akira Takahara sitting in the sniper's nest. Natsumi walked over to him. "Good morning, Takahara-san, how was it?" she cheerily inquired, looking out over Sumida ward. There was no response from the soldier.

Natsumi turned and looked at Sgt. Takahara. The color had drained from his face and he had a distant look in his eyes. They used to call it "the 1,000 yard stare" but now it was referred to as post traumatic stress disorder. Natsumi leaned over and placed her hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong, sergeant?" she asked softly.

Sgt. Takahara's head turned and he looked at Natsumi-or more accurately a point somewhere past her. "I've... I've..." the sergeant stammered softly. His head dropped as tears formed at the corners of his eyes.

Natsumi slowly and carefully removed the rifle from his grasp and handed it to Shouji, who had come up beside her. She knelt down to look in Takahara's eyes. "What happened?" she asked him barely above a whisper.

Sgt. Takahara shuddered as he took a deep breath. He finally became aware of Natsumi's presence and forced his eyes to focus on her face. "Tsujimoto" he started softly, "it was quiet for the first few hours. There were no incidents to be concerned with. That changed just before dawn." His eyes began to defocus again.

Natsumi quietly urged Takahara to continue. "What happened then, soldier?" she asked again.

The sergeant returned his gaze to Natsumi's face. "There was a woman... or perhaps a teenaged girl" he continued. "She was trying to make it here, to safely. I picked her up just as she came out of an alley and turned onto Keiyo Road. As soon as she rounded the corner of a building and stepped onto the sidewalk she saw dozens of..." He struggled for the right word.

"We call them walkers, Akira-san" Natsumi prompted softly.

Sgt. Takahara nodded slowly, then continued. "When she saw all the... the walkers, she screamed. The nearest one was about five meters in front of her. I took it out with a head shot. Just like that, another one was just about on her, coming from behind. I barely took it out. She screamed again as she saw the bodies fall around her." He dropped his head in his hands and his body shook like he was sobbing silently.

Natsumi tried to console the soldier. "You did what you were supposed to do" she assured him. The sergeant just shook his head. "I tried, but every time I dropped a walker, she screamed and more came after her. They swarmed her. I was limited in my lines of fire because I didn't want to hit her, too. I went through all three magazines I had. They kept coming." He dropped his head back in his hands.

Shouji wondered why he hadn't heard the gunshots, then remembered the rifle was suppressed. He listened in growing horror to the soldier's report, which sounded more and more like a confession.

Natsumi shielded her eyes with a hand. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach about where his account was going. However, she encouraged him to continue. "Please go on, Akira-san" she requested.

Takahara hung his head and stared at the roof in front of him. "I was down to my last round. She was surrounded by at least eight of them, with more coming. I was frozen in place. I could feel her fear, her pain. I... I... There was only one thing left to do, only one way to be merciful to her. I..."

Shouji gasped as he realized what the sniper chose to do. He watched his soon-to-be wife as she tried to console the man. He had never seen Natsumi like this before. She was so strong, so compassionate about the soldier's grief. "You made sure she didn't suffer, Akira" she said, leaning forward and hugging him tightly as he began to openly weep. "She wouldn't turn into one of them. Under the circumstances, it was the most compassionate thing you could do."

"But I killed her" Sgt. Takahara whispered.

Natsumi shook her head. "Her fate was sealed. You just made it quick and gave her dignity in death." She looked up at her fiance with pleading eyes as she continued to hold the soldier tight. Shouji laid the rifle down and ran for the roof entrance to get the doctors up to the emotionally-wrecked man. Natsumi continued to console him until Kaname and the JGDSF medic, Cpl. Aishi Minakami arrived to tend to him. The two women then assisted Takahara down to the infirmary.

After the three left the area, Natsumi picked up the binoculars to view the scene below. She saw more than a dozen lifeless walker bodies lying on the sidewalk-and then she saw the girl. He body lay where it fell. Natsumi could see where the bullet impacted her head. She also saw a few bite marks on one of her arms. She was already dead for all intents and purposes when Takahara shot her.

As Natsumi and Shouji picked up the supplies for the sniper's position, Shouji took a moment to look at Natsumi. The person he saw was the same one he had fallen in love with, but she seemed to have matured and grown stronger. He had thought he couldn't be any more in love with his fiancee, but he realized he had.

Natsumi looked up as she policed the brass scattered around the roof to see Shouji gazing at her. Shouji noticed that she looked sad. Just then, Natsumi heaved a sigh and said "Do we even have the right to be happy at this time?" Her lips trembled and it looked as if she was going to cry.

Shouji set down the bag he was packing and went over to her. He pulled her up and gave her a tender hug. "I know how you feel" Natsumi" he told her "and if we were to grieve over this disaster for the rest of our lives, we would never be able to rise above this tragedy. It's alright to feel grief at something like what the sergeant went through this morning, but it's also alright to have moments of joy or happiness." Natsumi didn't say anything but hugged her soon-to-be husband, then turned back to complete the clean-up of the sniper's area of the roof, then the two of them returned the equipment to the makeshift armory before heading to the cafeteria.

Miyuki, Karouko, Kenny and Kachou chatted as they entered the cafeteria. They served themselves breakfast then sat down together at a table in the middle of the room. They continued to chat as they ate. Everyone was discussing the impending double wedding.

"I have to say it seems a bit bizarre to have a wedding in the midst of all this" Karouko said, waiving her right arm towards Keiyo Road. "But it does make me feel like life will go on."

Saori and the three children had just picked up their meals. Saori saw the four officers stiing at the table and headed over. "Is there room for a few more?" she asked.

Kachou looked at the three children and smiled. Maho smiled broadly, Megumi giggled and even Yuuta had a small smile on her face. Kachou thought to himself "perhaps we will be able to get through this."

"I'm glad I'll be able to see you and senpai get married" Saori told Miyuki as she looked around. "By the way... Where _is_ Natsumi?"

"She spent the night with Shouji up on the roof" Miyuki replied. "I would have thought they'd be down here by now." she continued.

"Oh, they probably just slept in" Kenny commented. He realized what he had said and his cheeks turned red.

Miyuki giggled. "Kenny, what are you thinking about?" she teased. She looked over at the doors as she continued "I'm sure they'll be down..." She stopped in mid-sentence, with her mouth open and a sudden look of concern on her face. Every adult at the table turned to see what had startled Miyuki.

Natsumi and Shouji were just inside the cafeteria doors. Natsumi was leaning against her fiancee, looking smaller and more vulnerable then Miyuki could ever remember. Her eyes were red,

her face was puffy and there were tear tracks down her cheeks. Shouji was talking to her softly as he walked her over to a table next to the rest of the officers and helped her sit down. He then went to get their food.

Miyuki got up and went over to Shouji, stopping him on the way to the serving line. 'What happened, Shouji?" she asked, the concern plain on her face.

"That soldier that had the last watch in the sniper's nest had to shoot a girl that was being swarmed by the walkers" Shouji told her in a low voice. "It's really affected her. She looked at the scene with the binoculars before I could get over to stop her. Then she asked if we have the right to be happy."

Tears welled up in Miyuki's eyes. "She had been driving herself so hard since this all started" she told Shouji. "She's also had probably the most exposure to the situation outside of anyone here, and she lost Sahashi in the medical supplies run, not to mention the worry she put herself through waiting for you to get here. I know she's tough, but even she can only take so much."

"Go talk to her, Miyuki. Let her know she has to slow down" Shouji asked Miyuki. He thought for a minute then added "I wonder if we should wait to get married. It was a sudden..."

Miyuki cut him off with an emphatic "No, Shouji, bad idea." Miyuki glanced back at Natsumi then continued "Asking her to wait would devastate her, I fear. We'll just have to talk her out of this depression. If we have to postpone the wedding, so be it-but don't ever tell her you want to cancel it, even for a day."

Shouji stared at Miyuki while her words sunk in. He lowered his head slightly and said "You're right, Miyuki. I wasn't thinking. Please go console her." He turned to get into the serving line.

"Shouji, I didn't mean..." Miyuki called to him as he walked away. She cradled her forehead in her right hand, sighed and turned to go to Natsumi's table. She saw that Karouko and Saori were already sitting on either side of her. She smiled at the caring of her fellow officers, then sat down across the table from Natsumi.

Saori was responding to something that Natsumi has said before Miyuki sat down. "Even in the best of times our job is a delicate balancing act. We have to be steadfast yet flexible, strict but compassionate, stolid but empathetic. At a time like this, all that flies out the window. We don't know-we _can't_ know how to feel, to react, to _be_. I don't know if I'm making any sense right now... I guess what I'm trying to say is that we are going to feel like we don't deserve happiness at this time when so many are suffering and dying around us. However, to deny ourselves happiness when we can find it is to doom ourselves to become less than human." Miyuki marveled at how wise her kouhai had become.

Natsumi looked at her partner. Her eyes were puffy from crying, her cheeks were stained with tears and she looked a mess. Miyuki could just feel her confusion and pain. She reached out to Natsumi and took her hands. "Saori is right" she said softly, looking her partner straight in her eyes. "We've got to hold on to those things that keep us human. We can grieve for those who have died, but we should also rejoice for those we save, and I don't think it's bad for us to do things that make us happy. We just have to find the right time for each."

The medic Aishi appeared at the door of the cafeteria, looking for Natsumi. She headed over to the table where they all sat. "Natsumi, I thought you'd like to get an update on Sgt. Takahara, I mean Akira-san" she began.

Natsumi looked up at the medic. "Please sit down, Aishi. Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Yes, I ate about an hour ago" Aishi replied "but I'd love some tea."

Miyuki nudged Kenny in the side and he spoke up. "How do you like your tea? I'll get you a cup."

Aishi smiled. "Thank you. I'd like some honey in it, if there is any." Kenny nodded and went off to get the tea.

"So, how is Akira?" Natsumi inquired.

"He's resting comfortably under light sedation" Aishi told the group. "The doctors don't think he'll be out of action for too long. Kaname-san said that while she's not a psychiatrist, she thinks the breakdown is a combination of the stress we've been under and a lack of sleep. Once Akira-san has rested, he should be better."

"Well, that's good news" Karouko declared. "However, that doesn't seem to be enough of a reason to have that sort of breakdown, does it?"

"There is one more thing" Aishi said reluctantly. "Sgt. Takahara... Akira-san... While he has trained as a sniper for a few years, that young girl was the first person he's ever had to shoot. I know it tore him up inside, even if he knew it was the most merciful thing to do at the time." She looked down as tears formed in her eyes. Kenny returned and put the cup of tea in front of her. She picked it up with both hands. They were shaking.

"I know what that's like" Miyuki said, reaching over to take Aishi's hand. "I have the same fear. May I ask you a question. Aishi?"

"What is that" Aishi asked, still holding the cup.

"Do you have feelings for Akira-san?"

"Is it that obvious?" Aishi asked, setting down the cup and covering her face with her hands.

"Well, Natsumi and I are also in love-we're about to get married, right here in the midst of all this craziness" Miyuki told her.

"The two of you?" Aishi asked, wide-eyed.

Miyuki turned beet red. "Ah, ah, um... Let me rephrase that. I'm in love with Kenny and Natsumi is in love with Shouji and... and... we're going to have a double wedding ceremony today."

Aishi started to giggle. "I'm sorry. It just sounded like you were saying..."

"Well, if it got you to laugh a bit, it was worth the embarrassment" Miyuki admitted. "What I'm trying to say that since you do have feelings for him, be there for him when he wakes up. Does he know?"

"We've been friends since I joined his outfit but-no, I haven't come out and told him. He is higher in rank than I am" Aishi said.

"I don't think that matters any more" Natsumi joined in. "I doubt that the JSDF exists as a viable force by now. We're all just human beings fighting for survival the best we can."

"I see what you are saying" Aishi replied. ""I'm going to make sure I tell him how I feel the first moment I can."

"Atta girl" Natsumi exclaimed.

The crash of a tray and dishes on the floor made everybody turn and look towards the tray return window. A tall, ponytailed police officer stood there with his tray, while Gendo Onodera stood looking at him, his eyes wide with fear and the remnants of his meal at his feet. "NO! IT CAN'T BE!" he screamed before running out of the cafeteria. Everyone tried to figure out who the mysterious officer was.

Miyuki's eyes widened. "It's Aoi!" she gasped.


	28. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Aoi knelt down and began to clean up the debris of Gendo's dropped tray. He heard noises and looked up to see a dozen people crowding around him, staring. It was exactly what he was hoping to avoid, until the unfortunate meeting with Onodera. Aoi dropped his head and returned to his task.

"What happened, Aoi?" The question came from his right. He looked up to see Miyuki standing there, a look of concern on her face. "Are you all right?"

"Yes... yes... I'm fine" he said, his voice shaky. He stood up and started to turn back to the scullery window. He put the tray on the conveyor belt and then leaned on the sill of the window with both hands. "I guess I startled Onodera. I think I know why."

"Let's go someplace quiet and talk, Aoi. OK?" Miyuki asked, her eyes pleading.

"I would like that" Aoi replied, tears moistening his eyes. He remained where he was, with his back to the crowd.

Natsumi spoke up. "Alright, you guys, it's almost 0800. All of you who are _not_ qualified with a semi-auto pistol should be at the pistol range in the basement _now_!" She glared at the group, recognizing a number of officers who were on her list. They stood there, a bit shocked at the order.

"You heard Tsujimoto-_MOVE OUT!" _Kachou barked out. The crowd began to break up as people headed for the doors-some leaving their trays and half-eaten food behind. Natsumi turned to Kachou with a look of dismay. "It's not you, Natsumi" he assured her. "It's the same as when a crowd gathers at an accident."

"I understand, Kachou" Natsumi admitted. "I'm still being seen by some as just a fellow officer, not a leader. That will end soon." She smiled and turned to Shouji. "Gotta run, Shouji. I've got to go be my bad-ass self." She turned for the door.

"I thought I was assisting you with the qualifications, Natsumi?" he replied

Natsumi slapped her forehead. "Right! I forgot. Let's go, dear!" The two of them headed off.

"Aren't you supposed to help, too?" Kachou asked Kenny.

"Oh. Right. I guess I better get going." Kenny said, still confused by seeing Aoi in a man's uniform. He took off after Natsumi and Shouji.

That left Aoi, Miyuki, Kachou and Karouko standing in the cafeteria. Kachou looked around and said "Miyuki, why don't you and Aoi go to my office. You'll be comfortable there. Karouko and I will see if we can find Onodera. It might be best if we talked with him first."

Aoi turned around. His face was tear stained and he looked shaken and tired. "I have an idea of where he might have gone" he told the two inspectors. "He would want to go to someplace where he can be alone. That could only mean the holding cells. He'll think that no one would expect him to go back there. Please be careful. I don't know if he's just shocked or if his hatred of me has resurfaced."

"We'll be cautious, Aoi" Karouko said. "Thanks for the insights." Kachou and Karouko walked away, leaving Miyuki and Aoi standing there. "Would you want to talk here, Miyuki?" Aoi asked wearily.

"No, I'm sure the cafeteria crew will want to clean up for lunch" Miyuki replied. "I think Kachou's office will be the best place." The two of them walked out of the dining room.

Mrs. Yamata, the cafeteria supervisor, came over to the remnants of the dropped tray that Aoi had missed. Looking at all the trays left on tables, she shook her head and silently turned around to send the workers out to clean up the room.

Gendo ran down the hallway, tears streaming down his face. "How could she do that to me?" he wondered to himself. "How could she leave and let _him_ come back?" He ran into a sleepy Toshiro as the car mechanic turned doctor's assistant came out of the infirmary looking for Megumi. Gendo knocked Toshiro against the wall as he flew by him. Toshiro was still sleepy enough he did not recognize him, even with him wearing his orange jumpsuit.

Half running, half stumbling down the stairs, Gendo made it to the level where the detention cells were located. As he approached the door, he panicked-what if a guard was there? A few steps later, when the door came into view, he saw that it was slightly ajar. He threw the door open but the room and all the cells within it were empty. Relieved, he went back to the cell he had occupied and threw himself on the bunk, still crying.

"Why is he back? Where did she go?" Those questions swirled inside Gendo's head as he lay face down on the thin mattress. "What did he do with my guardian angel, Aoi?"

Miyuki closed the door behind her after as Aoi sat on the couch in Kachou's office. She then sat beside her fellow officer. Looking down to gather her thoughts, Miyuki turned to Aoi. "I don't know how to say this any other way but what is going on, Aoi?"

Aoi hunched over with his arms on his legs supporting his upper body. He clasped his hands as he sat there quietly for a few seconds. Finally, he spoke. "You know the female-the feminine Aoi-that you've worked besides for many years. That's a... a... persona, for lack of a better word. After the Chuo Rapist case, after I had to "come out" as a man playing a woman, I lost the ability to function in that capacity for the Sex Crimes Unit."

"That's understandable, Aoi" Miyuki said. "I can imagine how much that work meant to you."

"There was good and bad about it, Miyuki" Aoi replied. "I was able to put a lot of guilty people behind bars in both the anti-chikan squad and the special operations I participated in, but there was a great price to pay-my partnership, even my friendship with Sahashi. I even interfered with Saori's and Masumi's chances to become a couple. It became a great weight on me. When I requested a transfer to another department, my hope was to leave all that behind and make a new life for myself. I realize now that I was only delaying the inevitable. My past came back to haunt me."

Miyuki sat there, staring at the floor. The revelations Aoi was sharing with her were earth-shaking. She was trying to imagine the burdens that Aoi had carried with her... no, with him... How could anyone handle such a complex situation?

Aoi lifted his head and looked at Miyuki. "Are you shocked? Does it change your opinion of me?" His voice was tired and shaky but Miyuki could hear the female Aoi in the tone of his voice as well as the words.

"No, no, not at all, Aoi" she said with a tone of assurance. "I was just trying to fathom what you've been going through all these years. I guess in the midst of all this crisis I didn't see how it was affecting you."

"I tried to hide it, Miyuki" Aoi confessed "though not as well as I had hoped. With Onodera and Sahashi both here suddenly, I was thrown right back into what I had hoped I would never have to face again. I had to do something to keep from breaking down."

"But the thing is, you're still the same Aoi-whether male or female, you're still _you_" Miyuki insisted.

"Am I?" Aoi asked. "I'm not that ditzy airhead that you knew for years. That all flew out the window the moment Yoriko was bitten. It was like flipping a switch. No, it was more like a bomb going off. Suddenly I was reacting automatically, firing, evaluating my shots and correcting without even thinking about it. And then... when Yoriko attacked me, I moved like I haven't moved since playing basketball at the university. At that point, I thin the feminine Aoi was, for all practical purposes, gone. Since then, I've been trying to get "her" back-but I've come to the realization that's not what I need to do now."

"What do you mean, Aoi?" Miyuki asked.

"This situation-this crisis calls for the Aoi that could run anti-chikan decoy stings and pull off the Chuo rapist investigation" he replied. "Not the one whose specialties are flower arranging, tea ceremonies and make-up."

Miyuki pondered Aoi's statement for a while. Slowly, she began to nod. "I'm beginning to understand what you mean, Aoi. I have just one question-will the other Aoi come back some day?"

Aoi sat there with a puzzled look on his face. "If the world stays as it is, I can't see a place in it for the feminine Aoi. However, if we can get back to a semblance of normality, or to a place of safety, she would be able to return someday, I suppose."

"I hope so" Miyuki said. "We do need you right now, but the feminine Aoi will be missed."

Aoi stood up. "Well, I think I better go and talk to Gendo. Hopefully I can convince him I'm the Aoi that saved him."

"I'll come with you" Miyuki told Aoi. "I think you should have a back-up and I can help explain the situation." She got up and followed Aoi out of the office.

Daimaru and Sena Nakajima had spent the first day at Bokuto helping where they could. Daimaru had sat in on some of the planning sessions run by the senior officers and had helped out Oshou set up his ham radio system. Sena had cared for the children that had taken refuge at the station most of the day and evening. After that long day, the two of them fell asleep early and slept throughout the night.

About 0800, Sena rolled over onto her side in her sleep. She was jarred awake by cramps in her abdomen. She sat up in bed and was hit by a wave of nausea. Sena let out a groan, which woke Daimaru up from his sleep. "What's wrong, Sena?" he asked.

Sena didn't answer. Instead, her eyes grew wide as the color drained from her face. She struggled to her feet and ran out of the room, covering her mouth with her hand. Daimaru, still groggy, also got up from the futon and followed his wife. He saw her run into a bathroom across the hall from the office they had slept in. As he walked into the bathroom, he could hear retching coming from a nearby stall. He followed the sound and found Sena bent over a toilet.

"How can I help you, dear?" Daimaru asked. Sena, breathing heavily, finally looked up at her husband. "I don't know" she replied. "I've never felt like this before." She bent back over the toilet bowl. She attempted to vomit a few more times, but nothing came up. She finally sat back on her heels, daintily wiping her mouth. Daimaru wet some paper towels and handed them to his wife so she could clean up. "You're going to the infirmary right now" he stated as he helped her up.

Supporting his wife, Daimaru walked Sena down to the infirmary. Kaname was sitting at the desk, but jumped up as she saw the couple walk in. "What happened, Daimaru?" she inquired as she helped him move Sena to a bed. "I don't know" he admitted. "I heard her groan-that woke me up. Then she ran out of the room and I found her in the rest room... she was... she was..."

"Vomiting?" Kaname prompted him.

"Yes, vom... what you said" he replied.

"I'll check her out and make sure she's alright. You just sit down and relax, Daimaru" Kaname instructed the worried man as she pushed him towards the couch by the windows. Daimaru went over and sat, then laid down. He didn't take his eyes off his wife, however.

.

Kaname began her examination of Sena. She took her patient's vital signs and asked her about what she had eaten in the last two days. She poked and probed Sena's belly gently and listened to her bowel sounds. Frowning, she stepped back and thought.

"What is it, Doc?" Daimaru asked, sitting up. He had a concerned look on his face.

Kaname looked up at him as if she had forgotten he was on the couch. "Daimaru, um, could I ask you to step out for a few minutes?'

"Is Sena OK?" Daimaru insisted, standing up. His look of concern had turned to worry.

"I'll be able to better know after you step out and I have a chance to examine her more closely" was her reply. "Why don't you go down to the cafeteria and get breakfast? It'll make you feel better and that will help Sena" she suggested.

"OK, I'm going" Daimaru protested, "but I want to know what's going on when I get back." He walked out of the infirmary.

"Sena, do you feel like sitting up?" Kaname asked her patient.

"I... I think I can now" she replied, then she struggled to sit upright on the bed. Sena swayed a bit as she closed her eyes, then she steadied.

"I have some questions to ask you, Sena" Kaname started. Sena nodded in understanding. "First, are you on any birth control?"

Sena was a bit startled. "Um, no. Why?"

Kaname smiled. "Do you remember when you last had your period?" she continued.

Sena stared ahead, her cheeks reddening a bit at the question. She thought a while and replied, "I think it was four weeks ago... but I can't remember." She sat and though a bit more, then her eyes widened. "No, it was more like six, maybe seven weeks ago. Do you think..."

"I'm wondering, and thankfully Kyou made sure to get what we need to know" Kaname replied as she crossed over to a cabinet. She opened it up, picked up a box, carried it over to Sena and handed it to her. "I'll need you to use this."

Sena looked at the box in her hands. The label read "Early Pregnancy Test". Sena started giggling. "Oh, no, I don't need this" she said, one hand covering her mouth. "I know I'm not..."

"Are you sure?" Kaname retorted. Sena looked up at her and saw concern in her eyes even though there was a smile on her lips. "Let's be positive. You can use the water closet over there" she added, pointing to the other side of the infirmary.

Sena slid off the bed and headed to the WC. "Alright, if you insist" she said, "but I hate to waste one of these kits when you might need it later." She went in the room and closed the door. Kaname waited by the bed for a few minutes, then heard an audible gasp even through the WC door.

The door flew open and a wide-eyed Sena came out of the room holding the test stick. "I... I... I... I can't believe it!" she exclaimed.

As she approached Kaname, the doctor could see the indicator strip on the test stick. It was a red line, which she knew indicated that Sena was pregnant. Kaname broke out into a wide grin.

"How... How... How did this happen?" Sena asked. She was half smiling, half dazed.

"You don't know how it happened, Sena?" Kaname replied, stifling a chuckle.

"I mean, isn't Daimaru too old?" the newly-expectant mother asked.

"No, dear" Kaname replied. "Most men can father children up into their 80s."

Sena started giggling. "He's going to be so proud of himself" she exclaimed.

"Come, sit over here so we can discuss what you need to do now, Sena" Kaname said, indicating the desk. The two of them sat down to talk. Twenty minutes passed, then the infirmary door opened and in walked a clearly worried Daimaru.

"So, Doctor, what's wrong with..." he started but he stopped when he saw the two women grinning at him. "Congratulations, dad" Kaname said.

"What do you mean?" Daimaru asked, confused.

Sena stood up and walked over to Daimaru. She embraced him and looked up into his eyes. "We're going to have a baby, Daimaru" she said sweetly.

Daimaru was momentarily stunned by the statement. He stood there, his arms around his wife, with a blank look on his face. His mouth slowly grew into a huge grin. All of a sudden, he let out a yell, picked Sena up and spun her around. "I'm going to be a father!" he exclaimed loud enough that people out in the hall heard him. One of them was Kenny, who was heading to the basement firing range to assist Natsumi in qualifying officers on semi-auto pistols. He burst into the infirmary shouting "You're going to be what?"

"I'm going to be a father, son" Daimaru shot back, smiling broadly. Sena looked at Kenny happily and said, "Kenny, you're going to have a little sister." The motorcycle officer was stunned. "Dad! Sena!" was all he could say.

"Oh. Come on, Kenny, I told you to call me Mom" giggled Sena.

Kenny sputtered and then coughed as Daimaru slapped him hard on the back. "You're going to have to hurry up so you can catch up with your old man, son!" He roared. As he did, a few more people, attracted by the hoopla, came into the infirmary. "What's the big noise about?" asked Oshou, one of the late arrivals.

"We're having a baby!" yelled Daimaru again.

"That's wonderful!" Oshou exclaimed.

"All right, everyone!" Kaname called out to the rapidly growing crowd. "This is an infirmary. There are sick people who are here..." she looked around to see all the beds empty, then said "I mean, there are sick people who need to use this facility. Take this impromptu baby shower to a more appropriate location, like the cafeteria."

Daimaru, Sena and the well-wishers took Kaname's advice and left the room. They all headed down to the cafeteria, except Kenny, who once again left for the firing range. Kaname was left all alone in a once-again quiet infirmary. She smiled as she sat back down to fill in Sena's chart.

"It appears Aoi was correct in her, um, his analysis of Onodera" Kachou said to Karouko as the approached the detention cell block. The two officers had searched Gendo's sleeping area first and then the custodian's office before heading to the detention cells.

"She should be... I mean, he should" Karouko replied. "He had studied him for a long while before setting himself up as a decoy. To do anything else would have been foolish." Kachou opened the door to the cell block.

"Gendo?" he called out. "Gendo Onodera? This is Kachou. I have Karouko with me. We just want to talk with you. We're coming in." The couple walked into the hallway and checked each cell. They found Gendo still lying with his back to them on the bunk in the last cell, apparently asleep.

"Gendo?" Karouko said to the still form. He turned over and the two officers stopped. Gendo's eyes were red, his cheeks were tear stained and his lower lip trembled as he began to speak.

"Why? Why did he do it?" Gendo asked morosely. "Why did he take my Aoi away from me?" He then rolled back to his previous position. His shoulders shook as he sobbed.

Karouko knelt down and placed her hand on Gendo's shoulder. "I know you're shocked by her change. I don't know why she did it, but I'm sure that she had a good reason for... for..." Karouko stopped, racking her brain to come up with the right words.

"Gendo, no matter how she dresses, she's still the same Aoi that saved you" Kachou said softly. "She... He... We have all been through the most disturbing day of our lives. Why don't you go talk to Aoi and find out what happened?"

Gendo's body shook on the bunk. "I can't... I can't face him. He's not Aoi. He's..."

"The same person who saved your life yesterday, Gendo" cam a voice from the hallway. The three people in the cell all looked at the same time. Aoi was standing outside the cell, his hands folded in front of him, a concerned look on his face. "Bust I have a message from your Aoi. She wants you to hear me out. She needs you to understand."

"How can I believe you?" he replied.

"She wants you to" Aoi answered. He gestured to the two officers to exit the cell. They walked over to Aoi with concerned looks on their faces.

"Give us some time alone" Aoi asked.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kachou countered, his voice low. "I don't know if I'd want to leave the two of you alone."

"I appreciate your concern but I'll be alright" Aoi assured the two officers. "I can tell he's not dangerous, he's just confused and shocked by confronting me so suddenly. I'll be more able to talk to him if it's just the two of us." He turned and went over to the guard's desk to pick up the chair.

"Just be careful" Karouko cautioned him. "We'll be right outside if anything happens." They two of them walked down the hallway and exited the cell block. Aoi took the chair into the cell Gendo was in and sat down facing him.

"Gendo" he said softly. "Aoi wants me to give you a message."

Gendo stayed facing the cell wall. "Why should I believe you?" he said gruffly.

"Because she needs you to understand, Gendo. She's hurting and confused and needs you to understand why she's gone away temporarily."

At that, Gendo turned to face Aoi. "What's there that needs to be understood?" he shot back.

"Aoi wants to be with you, but for right now, she's suffering" he explained. "If she was to stay here-if she didn't take refuge-she might never recover from all she's gone through and we would never be able to get her back."

"All she's gone through?" Gendo sneered. "What do you mean, all she's gone through?"

"Gendo, please listen. I lost my two best friends yesterday to... to... to Them" Aoi said-but his voice softened and Gendo could hear the feminine Aoi speaking again. "I even had to shoot one of them to stop her from making me one. I had to do things I never wanted to do again-things only the male Aoi should have done."

"Was saving me one of them?" Gendo said.

Aoi shook his head. "No, it wasn't. What happened all that time ago disappeared like a fairy tale or a fable the moment They showed up. But I have to tell you" he went on, "that it was the male Aoi that saved you yesterday. His instincts took over the instant Yorkio was attacked by that walker. I couldn't have done it-I would not have been able to save myself if it wasn't for the Aoi sitting before you now."

Gendo sat up as Aoi was speaking, drawn into the conversation. "But he was the one who testified against me..."

"Gendo." Aoi looked him straight in the eyes. "You know why he did that. You admitted as much yesterday." there was silence between the two for a time, then Gendo dropped his head down. "I remember." he admitted. Looking back up, he continued, "So it was the male Aoi that saved me yesterday?"

Aoi shook his head in acknowledgment. "I was there, but I was emotionally devastated by what I had done. However, I was the one who made him recover the body-so I was a part in rescuing you, for if I hadn't have done that, he wouldn't have been there when you needed him."

Gendo dropped his head in his hands and heaved a great sigh. Lifting his head again, he said "I'm a bit confused by it all, but I think I'm getting the gist of it-so, while you were there, it was he who saved me, he who..." Aoi reached out and laid his hand on Gendo's knee.

"It's far more complicated than that" he said, 'but know this. We both share our feelings for you. We're happy you're alive and have let the past die with... with..." His lower lip began trembling.

"I understand now" Gendo said softly, taking both of Aoi's hands in his. "We need to let go of all the trappings of that old world and work together to save each other in this world. I just need to know-will you come back?"

Aoi lowered his head. "I want to come back, but I can't bear being in the world as it is right now. If... When we get to a place of safety, I will try to come back-if I haven't lost my way."

"I'll be your guide" Gendo assured the feminine Aoi. "When we find sanctuary, I will help you make it back. Until then, I will trust the masculine Aoi as I've trusted you."

"After all, I'm the same deep down inside, no matter what clothes I may be wearing" Aoi admitted. "Let's go" he continued, standing up, "We've got a busy day ahead-Miyuki and Natsumi are marrying their sweethearts soon." The two of them headed for the hallway.


End file.
